Jim Wojcikiewicz, a football official from Lockport, Ill., makes off-season improvement a priority. The USA Football officiating member takes a three-pronged attack to bettering his skills.
First, he stays in shape physically by running 10Ks and half-marathons. Next, he does a lot of film study, whether it be from high school, college or NFL games. And around March, he begins shoring up on rules.
“I study rules for about 15 or 20 minutes a day, every day of the week,” Wojcikiewicz said. “I try to cover different rules and philosophies. At this point in my career, a lot of what I ask myself is ‘How do I philosophically apply that rule in a given situation?’”
Film work is also an easy way to get several of his peers together in the off-season.
“I try to get other people to watch film with me, whether it’s film of games that I’ve worked or that I didn’t work,” Wojcikiewicz said. “Other people can pick up on things that I may not see. The more eyes you can get watching and providing feedback, the better. You can also put yourself in different situations. I might look at a call and say, ‘If I was the back judge, what would I call?’”
Wojcikiewicz began his career while he was a student at the University of Iowa. He currently works high school varsity, Division III college and indoor football games. He began his 19th season at the high school level in 2008, and has 10 years under his belt as a Division III official.
“It was a great job when I was a student at the University of Iowa,” Wojcikiewicz said. “I would work intramurals a couple of days a week and youth games on Tuesday and Thursday, so I had plenty of games. I was very, very fortunate.”
Whether he’s off from his Chicago-area home to southern Wisconsin or northern Indiana for a Division III game on a Saturday, Wojcikiewicz has seen a game evolving before his eyes.
“I like that the game is getting better and faster. It’s my responsibility to keep up with it, and that’s a challenge in itself,” Wojcikiewicz said. “If you don’t keep up with it during the off-season, you will not do it during the season. You don’t necessarily learn when you’re on the field. The off-season is the time to learn.”
Wojcikiewicz usually attends two clinics a year, one for high school officials and another for college officials. He also shares his knowledge about the profession when he speaks annually at one high school clinic.
Wojcikiewicz, who works in sales, plans to remain involved in America’s favorite sport for years to come, which is why he expends so much effort at it in the off-season.
“It’s extremely important to get work done in the off-season,” he said. “If you don’t keep improving, people will absolutely pass you by.”
