Hey Ref

Hey Ref- Cutting Corners

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Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:31

By Duncan Ryhorchuk

Can a leopard change it spots? With enough encouragement and the proper attitude, hopefully it can!

Have you ever witnessed or worked with a fellow official, teammate or employee that cuts corners? If they get the job done and no one complains, is it OK to cut corners? What effect does it have on you or the players or coaches in a game? How should you deal with it?

To cut corners: To do something in the easiest, quickest or cheapest way, often harming the quality of your work.

Cutting corners is plain and simply being lazy! When a player is lazy, the opposition can take advantage of the situation created by his or her laziness. An example is the opposition gets an easy breakout, or no pressure on the puck carrier, allowing that player extra time and space to make a pass, get a shot on the net or an easy goal.

Officials are not competing against anyone in a game, hence being lazy cannot be reflected on the scoreboard. But when an official is lazy, it not only reflects poorly on themselves but also the assigner of that game, the officials association and other officials.

Being lazy is a direct result of two functions: 1) bad conditioning and 2) not caring! Really both come down to attitude.

Have you heard these statements before? “I don’t have time to exercise” or “I get my exercise in the games that I officiate.” Wow. Really?

Do players only improve by playing games? Officials are athletes and conditioning is a year-round aspect of being an athlete.

I didn’t say you should officiate year around. Just like an athlete attending a professional team training camp, they are not going there to get in shape anymore. You better come in shape or you will not be around at the end of the training camp!

When an official’s attitude shows they don’t care, why are they there? I hate to say it, but, are they there for the money?

Putting all things into consideration, time, travel costs, etc officiating is still a good-paying part-time job. But if the official is not giving their full effort, they are cheating the participants, the people who paid admission to the game and the ones paying the league’s fees.

Is it a habit being lazy or are you tired, preoccupied or mentally in a rut? Ask yourself, “Do you enjoy officiating?” Recognize this and take steps to make changes.

Ask your partners to give you feedback. Have a friend video the game and critique yourself. Try not to compare yourself to others; commit to being the best you can be.

The caring attitude also comes down to helping the game run smoothly. Showing up on time, being prepared, helping the rink attendants are all ways officials can help the game be a finely tuned performance.

An example would be moving the nets for the Zamboni driver. After the game is finished, you just skated hard for three periods, you are physically and mentally drained and you want to get going because you have to stop at a store on the way home. The last thing you want to do is wait around for the guy driving the Zamboni. That is going to slow you down by five minutes and really it is not the official’s job! But it is something that has to be done.

I always seem to recall a scene from the movie “Ray.” Ray Charles is on stage performing and the audience was talking and not paying attention. One of Ray’s assistants, who was not in charge of stage lighting, took it upon himself to dim the balcony lights and turn up the spotlight on Ray Charles. The audience quieted and listened to Ray’s performance. After the performance, Ray asked who did it and why? The assistant said, “I did and it just needed to be done.”

The incorrect way of looking at something is “it is not my job.” The correct attitude or way of looking at something is “it needs to be done, so I will just go do it.” If you carry this attitude, things will go smoothly, and your partner who may not want to be there or is feeling lazy, will catch the positive attitude and help the performance.

Cutting corners may help you fool the untrained eye, but the knowledgable ones, the ones you want to impress, will see right through your performance. Remember, no matter the level of game, the time it is at or how much you are being paid, that particular game is important to somebody.

Officials, players or coaches, please send me your best one-liners that you have heard or used when dealing with other officials, players, coaches or spectators at your games.

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