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When Can I? How Can I?"DR. JOHN" RABER-DIRECTOR OF OFFICIALS FOR THE NHSCA "Doc, I have been officiating for three years and have still not been asked to officiate the states or the nationals, whats the deal " ? asked the young official Not wanting to embarrass the young official by telling him that the chance of most officials getting to officiate the states was small and as regards to the nationals, slim to none. I, in return replied, " some great officials are never invited. If , however, you hope to get the opportunity here are a few things you really need to do." Expose yourself to as much wrestling as you possibly can. You certainly don't have to wrestle but if you can, go to wrestling and officiating camps and clinics to learn about new holds and positioning. I can not tell you how many how many times an official has missed a reversal off of a Granby or Merkle or how many pins have been missed off of a well executed Spladle. Simply stated, have an idea or better yet, know where a hold or move is going and how it will most likely end up. Don't be afraid to ask questions. There is no such thing as a dumb question but rather a fool who don't know and is too proud to ask. You may think this is beneath your dignity, but I still officiate elementary and middle school wrestling. It keeps you sharp, it teaches you to hold your call and not give the points until the points are there, and it makes you record the points in your mind. Elementary and middle school wrestlers, and yes, some high school wrestlers can score more points in a minute or so than will be scored in an entire match between two good evenly matched teams. You must watch the great veteran officials and study what sets them apart from other officials. I serve as director of officials for the NHSCA but, I Learn something and feel that I personally improve everytime I work with and watch great officials. This may seem obvious, but volunteer to work the tables or in some other capacity at the big events. Make your presence felt, in an obnoxious way and always have your uniform handy. There are times, when an official for whatever reason fails to show up and they take who they can and that may be you. Often the guy who was asked to step in does a great job and the rest is history. God gave you two ears and one mouth so listen to what other veteran officials have to say. Never criticize anyone because it can come back to bite you. If you point a finger at someone there are three fingers pointing back at you. Don't just read the rule and case book, digest it and discuss it with other officials. If, you ever think that you are perfect please quit. There is always room for improvement. Finally, remember that every match is just as important as the next. One night I was officiating the Iowa vs. Iowa State match with some 15,000 + fans and every news media imaginable present and twenty four hours later I was in the Dawson County gym in Dawsonville, GA. Before the match started I looked up in the stands and counted all of 36 people. For those 36 people and for those 28 wrestlers and coaches it was every bit as important in terms of me being the very best official that I could as it was the night before in Iowa. Every match you officiate should be considered the most important match you have ever officiated and you should never in any way, shape, or form believe that anyone is going to beat anyone until the last whistle blows. |