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Being a referee?
BiffLowman
Posts: 695 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
in General
What would possess someone to want to be a referee? I give those guys credit: in today's day and age, no one has EVER committed a penalty and they feel as if they can scream at officials anytime that they feel. I'm just wondering if it is a way to stay close to the game? There sure is not a lot of money involved. If they can work off community service hours, I might give it a shot...I mean, I have a _friend _who might give it a shot.
Comments
My experience was as a soccer referee, eventually officiating Olympic development games, but I imagine the appeal is similar.
I'd say the profile meets someone that was previously a player. Probably picked up officiating because they wanted a little extra cash or just saw that someone in their community needed to step up and do it. Then realized they were REALLY GOOD at it and chose to continue developing themselves as a referee. Going through the ranks of refereeing, you get "promoted" to new levels, better competition, etc. It can even get competitive. It challenges you to be the best / highest level ref you can be.
Ultimately it's just like a player's career path - you try it out, find out you enjoy it and you're talented, develop yourself, and take it as far as you can.
As for the yelling and screaming, you learn very quickly to tune that out. You expect it. It's not even really a thing after a while. You trust yourself, and your training, and you know you're making the best call you can.
I'm a High School Official here in Alabama and trust me, it isn't easy. Imagine doing a job where no matter what you do, or don't do, you tick off half the people watching you do it. I have seen people with kids in thier laps using the same language I used in the military. I started doing it because I loved the game, now I'm not sure why I keep doing it.
I did refereeing for youth league in the mid-to-late 80's in GA. We had some 12-14 year old get into a scuffle and a pile up. Me and a friend, who was a more experienced ref, started pulling kids off the pile. One dad didn't like his son being "touched" and wanted to fight after the game, while being pretty obnoxious from the time of the pile-up until game's end. Needless to say we managed to get out of there without anyone (us) being killed. It was enough for me.
On the other hand, we were doing a young kids' game (maybe 7-8 years old) and at the end of the game, one of the kids came up to his coach and asked "did we win" ? I've never forgotten that. He was just cruisin' and lovin' playing the game. The score just wasn't all that important - at least enough to remember it.
I feel like you could substitute "referee" with "prison guard" and all of you quote would still work. Lol
Exactly why I referee high level soccer (ECNL and RPL) at age 47. I got into it to stay physically active, had people whose opinions I respected tell me I had some ability and decided to see just how good I could be. Had I done this 25-30 years ago, I think I could be a FIFA-level referee. I know a couple of guys who are that level and they have said the same thing.
Wait...are you sure you're not describing the life of a youth sports coach?