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Take a Rookie Under Your Wing

Helping train and orient a new official is perhaps the single most important task an experienced official can undertake. Many local associations, assisted in some cases by their states and groups like NASO, have developed some effective mentoring programs. What are the key elements of good mentoring programs? More to the point, what’s “in it” for the experienced official?

Person-to-person. Mentoring centers on a one-on-one relationship: the experienced official and the rookie. The most important characteristic a mentor can have, therefore, is an approachable, patient personality. The veteran will be asked many questions that cover the most fundamental parts of officiating. Not every official has the patience for that. Before you agree to serve as a mentor, be sure you can handle such exchanges. Signs of impatience, exasperation or annoyance may only serve to relay to the rookie that you think he is stupid or ill-prepared. Foster an environment in which questions are encouraged and you’ll be helping that new official develop.

Field experience. Rulebook discussions on officiating theory and mechanics are fine, but there’s no substitute for onfield or oncourt experience. Too many groups leave new officials to “fend for themselves” while they cut their teeth on JV, freshman or middle school contests. Rookie officials need to get game experience with game-experienced officials. That is where many mentoring programs fail. If experienced officials are unwilling to “step down” and take a few lower-level games to help out their mentees during game situations, the learning curve is made longer and less effective. Veterans should help rookies get some entry-level games, and then work those games with them. You’ll see much quicker results.

Game gossip. Experienced officials know the benefit of a good pregame and postgame conference. For the new official with just a few games under the belt, there is nothing more valuable. Sitting down after a game to go over plays, calls and rule interpretations that he or she just experienced is a fast-track learning method. Those powwows should contain instruction and reinforcement as well as the areas in need of improvement. Tact is the key. “You’ll find that making that call is easier if you are in this location,” works better than, “You were out of position. No wonder the coach ate you alive.”

The payoff. Let’s face it: Officials aren’t beating down the door to become mentors. That’s too bad. Officials who have become mentors discover that working with new officials has advantages. First, you can find diamonds in the rough. Properly mentored rookies have gone on to fulfilling officiating careers. Second, you can rediscover your love of officiating. Work with a younger person who is excited to be working a freshman game, and you just might rekindle that spark that got you started. Third, you can improve your game. Diving into rulebooks and mechanics manuals with a young official might open your eyes to something you had forgotten or overlooked.Mentoring doesn’t just help one new official. It helps all who officiate. Help a new official take off by taking one under your wing.

Written by Dave Sabaini, a freelance writer and official who lives in Terre Haute, Ind. This article originally appeared in the 12/04 issue of Referee.

Let’s Hear Your Best Story ...

You’ve probably been giving your best officiating stories away for free at any number of postgame crew gatherings. Referee magazine will pay you $100 to publish your favorite war story from the officiating trenches. Type up your story in 1,000 words or less and e-mail it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Sure, you might lose the opportunity to tell the story to your buddies, but now you’ll have an even bigger audience. Here’s a story of an official’s observations of his younger crewmate.

The Kid's First Big Game

By Jim Peterson I had just finished showering and dressing after working the Utah 5A state championship football game in November 2002. It had been a well-played game and I was feeling great. I left the locker room and sat on a folding chair just outside the door near the south end zone. Lone Peak from Utah County and Bountiful High School were on the field just beginning the 4A championship, and I had every intention of leaving at halftime and heading home to beat the Utah County crowd. But that game was too good to leave.It was a war with the Lone Peak program being only five years old trying to prove it belonged, battling Bountiful, one of the top programs in the state. After 48 action-filled minutes, Bountiful came out on top, 23-20, in a well-played, well-officiated ballgame. Yes, I stayed to watch the whole thing and yes, the drive home was slow and crowded on I-15 South.Flash forward to August 2003 when I was asked to work the first game of the year at Lone Peak. It would be hosting Bountiful in a rematch of that great championship game I had watched. I was thrilled. My crew included officials with 19 state finals under their belts — all well-seasoned and all more than ready to start the new season with a big game. All of them, that is, except one young official, who was beginning his third year of officiating. His name was Jess Peterson, and he was to serve as the linesman on the crew. He was inexperienced, sure, but he had grown up in athletics. At the time of our game, he was a senior at Southern Utah University, co-captain of the track team. But was he ready for this? I hoped so.The crew knew that I was uneasy with “the youngster” working such a big game that early in his career. During the pregame meeting we spent an extra amount of time going over pass coverage and kicking situations. Those can be the downfall of an otherwise well-officiated game. If something screwy was going to happen, that’s where it’d probably be. Still uneasy, but feeling we were well-prepped, we took the field.The kid’s first flag came early on a block in the back against Bountiful. I paused to check Bountiful’s sideline — nary a peep. OK, maybe he got it right. I smiled as our experienced line judge struggled to control Lone Peak’s sideline. Both teams were wound pretty tight and wanted a piece of anybody they could find. From a distance, I heard Bountiful’s Coach Wall screaming, “You want me off the field? What about them?” I turned to the Bountiful sideline just in time for the kid’s whistle. “What ya got?” I asked. “Sideline warning; let’s back ’em up,” was the answer. OK, maybe the kid could handle this.Late in the fourth quarter, Bountiful’s outstanding linebacker picked off a Lone Peak slant pass and returned it 50 yards to seal the deal at 21-9, Bountiful. As we left the field, Coach Wall went out of his way to offer the kid a handshake. He professionally accepted it, but later mentioned, “Winning coach. Handshakes are easy.”I was so proud. He had handled his first big test. Is he ready for the playoffs? Yeah, probably. Is he ready to be working the finals? Not yet, but I could see him there in a few years.As I climbed into the kid’s car for the ride home, I placed an arm around his shoulders and told him what a good job I thought he had done. I don’t usually get that friendly with my crewmates, but I thought I’d make an exception in this case.Then I told my son, “Hey Jess, let’s go see if mom has something for us to eat at home.”

Jim Peterson, Orem, Utah, is a longtime high school football and has worked many state championship contests. This originally appeared in the 11/05 issue of Referee.

The educational program at NASO’s 2009 Summit in Tucson, Ariz., on July 27-29 will empower officials, provide unmatched resources to state and local associations and deliver critical analysis to officiating leaders everywhere. You won’t want to miss these sessions this summer:

1. Tough Calls Leaders Have to Make About Their Officials — Leaders at all levels are faced with tough decisions: tournament selections, evaluation, disciplining officials, etc. Officiating leaders will discuss the framework for making tough calls when the stakes are high and the right path is far from obvious.

2. How Officials Make Decisions — Clare MacMahon, a lecturer in the School of Human Movement, Recreation and Performance at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia, presents her expansive research on sports officiating. That research will help you formulate improved methods of training your officials.

3. Current Legal Issues: Your Questions Answered — This open forum presentation of the NASO Member Information and Consultation Program will provide useful information from legal experts in officiating.

4. Let’s Take a Look at the Whole Play — NFL referee Mike Carey, NBA referee Steve Javie, NCAA Division I women’s basketball official Lisa Jones and NCAA football official Karl Richins will break down tape, providing real plays, real rulings and real analysis.

5. Can You Teach Judgment? — Does judgment differ from common sense or gut instinct? The session looks at why good people make poor decisions and if judgment can truly be taught. It will provide ways to teach and train officials.

6. Character Counts: The Impact of Officials on Sportsmanship — The Arizona Interscholastic Association’s Pursuing Victory With Honor program trains and tasks officials, schools and coaches to promote sportsmanship. Learn about the program and how you can implement a similar one.

7. We Don’t Talk About Judgment Calls — How do you handle the public relations aspect of a missed call and should you even be discussing judgment calls? This session will look at judgment calls and how they impacts officials’ lives.

8. The Big Picture on Video — Video training is all the rage. It’s everywhere (or at least everyone would like it to be at all levels). Find out more about what’s involved with using video: permissions, copyrights, language issues, possible embarrassment to officials/coaches/players, etc.

9. Verbal Judo: How to Deliver the Message — Former minor league baseball and current collegiate Division I baseball umpire Ray Leible will share how Verbal Judo can help you and your fellow officials communicate your message effectively.

It’s NASO’s most extensive program to date. Don’t miss out on the opportunity.

For more information on Summit registration and accommodations at the J.W. Marriott Star Pass Resort, contact NASO at 800/733-6100 or visit www.naso.org/summit2009.