My opinion is we all have heroes! Many of us from our early childhood years had individuals we looked up to for various reasons. Whether that individual was real, or imagined, we were influenced to one degree or another by the actions we saw, words we heard or read.
In our officiating careers, those of us who look at our efforts as an avocation, it is a good idea to develop and maintain friendships with other more experienced referees, or at least other referees who have behaviors on the floor we perceive as instructive.
People who are serious about getting better night in and night out on the floor, are usually those who have immersed themselves in a positive mental attitude, and are students of the game and the mechanics of officiating. Finding and having mentors around you that can offer you useful advice and instructions is all part of getting better and getting the calls right.
This idea of having a mentor can be as simple as watching and seeing someone who does something well on the floor, and then you trying to include that in your game. You likely would want to have some mentoring from higher level and well regarded names as well. But, if you are struggling to get to someone like that, observing different crews across the spectrum of competition you aspire to offers you growth.
As an example, some time ago, I worked in a crew with someone that was influential for me. Candidly, this official did not have many more years ahead of my own. But, sometime back I had watched him in several locations, and was impressed with what I will call his "smoothness" on the floor. No matter what the situation called for he moved with purpose and with a flow that caught my eye. His mechanics, professionalism, and regard for players and coaches all were presented with a crispness that let a casual observer know he knew what was going on.
After the game, while walking to the car, we were talking and saying our farewells, when he made the statement, "Hey-you really looked good out there tonight...." What he did not know at the time was that some of what I was doing on the floor, were behaviors he (along with others like him) had influenced.
Getting the calls right, each and every night and at any level, starts with the simplest of rubrics: know the rules, know your mechanics, study the rules, rehearse your mechanics, see all the plays you can possibly see, begin always with a positive mental attitude, and listen to others that have been there and done well. If you have a desire to be encouraged by a mentor, then ask questions, show interest, listen and implement good advice-and the relationships will come.
