Balancing Life & Refereeing
University of Guelph March 5 David Barrie & Melissa Snedden Introduction
• David Barrie • Melissa Snedden • National Referee • Regional Referee (currently in PUG)
2 Agenda
1. Family/Friend/Work Support 2. Organization/Availability 3. Attitude 4. Willingness to learn/listen 5. Training 6. Challenges that you may experience 7. Being happy 8. Building a positive reputation 9. Wrap up
3 Family/Friend/Work Support
• Having the flexibility when it comes to family
• Possibly missing family/friends special events
• Understanding spouses
• Planning your availability …sometimes tough choices need to be made so having a balance is important.
• Keep things into perspective
4 Family/Friends/Work Support
• There are opportunities to officiate across the Ontario and Canada • Being able to take time off work for important games and tournaments
5 Organization/Availability
• Ref Centre is the assigning program used for the top leagues in Ontario
6 Organization/Availability
• Set your availability; remember default is UNAVAILABLE at the beginning of the season
7 Organization/Availability
• Set up the League’s you’d like to referee in. • Remember….if you have recently upgraded, more leagues will become available to you
8 Organization/Availability
• Depending on your regions you may need to update your availability on more than one system
• Confirm appointments in a timely manner i.e. 24-48 hours
• Be sure to book off days for recovery & training purposes
• Being an assignor is a thankless task – managing your availability prevents the need to decline games
• Don’t take too many games!
• If you have a conflict with one of the teams do what is right – return the game 9 Attitude
10 Attitude
• Always show up to your game in good space (leave your baggage in your car)
• Always be polite and respectful to the players, coaches & your crew
• Introduce yourself to the coaches
• Treat all games with the respect they deserve
11 Attitude
• Be positive, it’s okay to smile before, during and after the game
• Enjoy & have fun!
12 Willingness To Listen & Learn
13 Willingness To Listen & Learn
• Attend local education sessions • Listen to assessors during assessments; there will be time after to ask questions • Practice LOTG quizzes online • To improve you need to invest time into your refereeing
14 Willingness To Listen & Learn
• Watch games on television or live to learn different techniques i.e. man management, applying the LOTG, communication, dealing with match situations.
15 Training
16 Training
• During off season, you should train to maintain your fitness:
1.Cardio- ex. High Intensity 2.Strength- ex. Weights 3.Stretching- ex. Yoga
17 Training
• On field training during off season & between games
18 Training
• Warm up before games • Cool down, stretch & roll out after games
19 Training
• Before games as well as individual and group training, fuel your body right
1. Hydrate 2. Eat properly
20 Challenges you may experience
21 Challenges you may experience
• Injuries are preventable –Take time off to recover –Take time off to train
22 Challenges you may experience
• Knowing when to decline games & showing up on time:
1. Don’t take back to back games that are at different parks
1. Plan accordingly and make sure you have enough time in case you hit traffic
1. Take games when you know you able to get away from family/work
23 Being Happy
24 Being Happy
• The season starts early May-early November
• Make sure you pace yourself and don’t burn yourself out
25 Being Happy
• If you’ve had a tough game, talk to someone!
1.Spouse/Partner 2.Fellow Referees 3.Club Referees 4.DRC
26 Being Happy
• Try & leave everything on the field • Learn from your mistakes
27 Building a Positive Reputation
28 Building a Positive Reputation
•Treat your fellow referees, players and coaches with respect… they will remember this!
•Treat every game the same and referee it with full integrity
•Social Media can be great, when used properly!
29 Questions & Comments
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