One night, for instance, a member of a local football crew forgot his shoes. That official was horrified about the prospect of working the game in his loafers. Luckily another crew member brought an extra pair that were approximately the right size, so his buddy didn't have to look bad. Imagine what the coaches, players and everybody else at the game would have thought seeing the sideline official running up and down the field flashing a blur of brown tassels. It wouldn't have mattered how quickly and easily he got into position or how crisp his mechanics were, all anyone would have thought would be, "Look at that dumb official wearing dress shoes to a game." One look and his credibility would have been out the window.
One of the truest statements you'll ever run across is "you only get one chance to make a first impression." Like it or not, officiating is a visual activity. (Extremely visual, in the case of televised games.) And while it would be ideal to have your work judged solely on its merit, good officiating involves more than a firm grasp of the rules and an ability to communicate those rules through mechanics. The choices you make before you ever step onto the court or field can not only dictate how well you're received, but how far you advance toward postseason bookings and higher level assignments.
"If you don't look like a pro, you certainly won't be perceived as a pro," says NCAA Division I basketball official John Clougherty. "You want to look as good as you can," he stresses. "That's something you can do and have control over." Your look, of course, goes beyond simply being properly attired; you need to make sure your entire countenance and demeanor scream out professionalism and authority. Everything from the clothes you wear to your posture, gestures and facial expressions must convince everyone involved in a game that you're ready to officiate and that you take your job seriously.
Coaches, players and fans all carry enough verbal weapons that they'll occasionally aim at you. "Make sure you don't give them ammunition other than your game performance," says Clougherty. Toward that end, there is much you can do to enhance your presence on the field or court.
Stay in Shape
We can all sit around and bemoan the fact that we're living in "the Age of the Supermodel," but the truth is, staying near your ideal weight fosters trust. Without ever speaking, you're saying you're serious about the event, willing to hustle and able to put yourself in the right position to make the call.
"Any official has to be able to keep up with the sport he or she officiates," says Steve Culp, coordinator of softball umpires for the Missouri Valley Conference. "You have to do some running and you do have to do some exercises in order to stay up with (the players and the plays)."
Coordinating your exercise routine to the most demanding sport you officiate may be the best way to stay in top physical condition. Mary Struckhoff, a Division I basketball official and National Federation assistant director in charge of officials' training, works out year-round. But she adds that her regimen intensifies as her sport season gets closer. "Prior to the season, I try to do more game-situation kinds of working out, like sprints and intervals."
Dress For Success
An unkempt or over worn uniform tells people that you don't take your role in the game seriously, and if you don't take it seriously, they won't take your authority seriously. So, wash out the odor, banish the wrinkles, polish the belt and shoes and replace worn equipment before the wear becomes obvious. But don't stop there. Merle Butler, ASA director of umpires and a high school football official, suggests you buy extra-long shirts, which stay tucked in better, and flex-belts to help keep them in place. Some football officials even go so far as to tuck their shirts into white compression shorts so the stripes won't show through their knickers.
What you wear to the game also lends credence to the calls you make during play. "You don't want to come to a ballgame with a bandana around your head and a leather jacket," Culp says, only half joking. "The image they first see is critical."
Imagine that every game you work is an important job interview. Proper grooming is key. Keep your hair washed and neatly combed, and always arrive clean-shaven or with your moustache and beard properly trimmed.
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Most officials at the high school level and above arrive at the game site in business attire. Others wear dress pants and matching shirts bearing either the logo of their association or the conference in which they work. Either way you go, you're creating the impression that your mind is in the game before the game even begins.
Preparation
It's easy to destroy the impression of alertness when you forget essential equipment. Many officials lay out their equipment days ahead of time and pack it the same way before every contest to prevent lapses in memory. USSF Director of Officials Esse Baharmast uses a checklist, which he likens to that of a pilot. He says people feel more comfortable flying with a pilot who has a million miles under his belt, but they're not going to stay on the plane unless he checks the flaps before takeoff!
Frankly, preparing for a game is a completely acceptable time to be anal. You're not going to hurt anybody by reassuring yourself with three or four checks of your bag that everything you need is accounted for. If you're flying to a match, you want to fit everything you need into a carry-on (Imagine arriving for a game in Indiana only to discover your uniform's traveling to Hawaii!) so there won't be much room for extras. If you're driving, pack two of everything. Not only does that give you a backup in case of rips or breakage, it also comes in handy when your partners experience their own lapses in memory.
Watch Your Body Language
How you carry yourself says more about you than anything you can say verbally. How do you think people would react to an official who stands with a slouch and keeps his head down, avoiding eye contact when he arrives? That official won't be seen as someone who can get the job done. What about the official who arrives and stands with his arms crossed as he glares intensely at anyone who looks his way? That official appears confrontational. You want to exude confidence while appearing approachable and professional.
Randy Christal, an NCAA baseball umpire and Big 12 football official, communicates confidence by holding his shoulders back and his head up. He feels you can exude overconfidence, even cockiness, with such subtle maneuvers as putting your hands on your hips or crossing your arms in front of your body.
"I'll talk to myself," Christal says, "(I'll say), ‘Get your hands off your hips; get them down by your sides.'" At the same time, you don't want to appear meek. "Never look down," he stresses. Look down and you've fallen off the other side of the line, creating an aura of uncertainty you may be unable to erase. Keeping your head up while maintaining eye contact and holding your hands behind your back shows that you are in control without appearing arrogant or confrontational.
Be aware of how you run during play as well. Both Christal and Jerry Seeman, NFL director of officiating, agree an official should move in "cruise control." It's the ultimate balance between sloth and speed, making you seem neither lazy nor overeager. How do you achieve that balance? "Practice," says Seeman, who stresses the need for patience as well.
"There is a very thin line between arrogance and confidence," says Culp. Struckhoff agrees, "It really is a delicate balance." While she wants to appear capable, she also wants the coaches to see she's approachable. So when she takes the court, she smiles, talks to her partners and makes sure she gives each coach a word of encouragement, accompanied by a firm handshake.
Other quiet messages of self-confidence include signaling sharply, maintaining eye contact, listening carefully and keeping your hands at your sides. Smile when it's appropriate but never frown or smirk. Practice a neutral facial expression that doesn't betray your emotions.
Walk the Line
Calling fouls or penalties seems cut and dried. After all, the mechanics are right there in your rulebook. But even if you signal correctly, be aware you may be adding extra moves that aren't in the book. Seeman gives an example: "When there is a foul, there must be a professional manner and a firmness in how you present yourself. You don't want to go through facial contortions. You never want to show excitement."
You never want to improvise either. "I think any time you put a lot of gyrations into it, you do it for one thing," says Clougherty, "and that's to call attention to yourself." He notes that you can sell a call without looking like a buffoon.
The opposite holds true: Be careful not to appear disinterested when making your calls. People will assume you don't want to be there or that you're too tired or bored by the contest.
Adapt to the Situation
Though your degree of professionalism won't change from level to level or sport to sport, your approach might. "Gender (of the players) will change your demeanor considerably," says Culp. After 27 years of officiating, Culp has found the environments created by male athletes and coaches quite different from those fostered by their female counterparts. With men, he says, "Your intensity has to rise; your confidence has to be greater; your demeanor has to be more rigid." Why? He says male athletes tend to "go for the jugular" if they sense weakness more often than women athletes do.
It might be different at different levels of competition as well. You'll encounter less pressure at the youth level. Your demeanor may become more relaxed - but not lackadaisical. As you move up, though, the intensity rises exponentially. "You're not quite under the microscope in a high school game," says Baharmast. He notes, as well, that at higher levels "people are not quite as forgiving."
You're Not Done Yet
Don't think that just because the game is over, your job as a professional is over. On or off the field, people will continue to view you as an official, so when the buzzer sounds, that's not an invitation to start scratching your armpits, light up a cigarette, remove your shoes and slump down on a nearby bench to air your feet. Your job begins when you receive an assignment and ends with the completed paperwork.
You wouldn't arrive at a game site wearing jeans and a T-shirt, so there's no reason to think it's acceptable to leave that way. After your shower, put your business attire back on and leave as you came. Until you're completely removed from your assignment - like when you arrive back home - you need to maintain your aura of professionalism.
Like it or not, people do judge books by their covers and officials by their appearance. You communicate a great deal about yourself and your abilities through your gestures, facial expressions and how you dress and groom yourself. First impressions are visual and you can make them work for you. Take it a step further and learn what body language you're speaking so you can walk the line without fear of falling off it. Work on maintaining composure, offering courtesy and stretching professionalism beyond the game. Treat every game as though there's a television camera following your every move and the importance of appearance will be second nature to you.
Reprinted with written permission from Referee magazine. For subscription information contact Referee magazine, PO Box 161, Franksville, Wis. 53216;
phone 262/632-8855; e-mail: referee@referee.com.