Today’s Tuesday; enter Nate. In Part 2 we find our striped star going through his 3rd and 4th year in the NBA Grassroots program, and his advancement toward the Elite level of the program. They are looking for play-calling abilities, physical fitness, discipline, knowledge of mechanics, communication/people skills, commitment, and drive. Most importantly, a good person – Today part 2; tomorrow, part 3 of sorts – pod with Mr. Cearley. But part 2, now.
Year 3 (2017-18)
Can you sense a theme, here? With every year that passes, I am becoming more and more involved in this “referee” thing. Year 3 started with football again, and in addition to beginning my third season working HS Varsity Football, I was hired into the Junior College Football Conference (KJCCC) in Kansas, which is widely regarded as the best Junior College Conference in America, at age 20. After working just one quarterfinal game for high school football, I, along with four other members of my college crew, were selected to work an NAIA Round of 16 Playoff game at Reinhardt University in Waleska, Georgia. So, we packed up all 7 crew members into a minivan and made the 15+ hour trek across the country to Georgia to work that game. What an incredible experience that was! Then, the next week, we were selected to work another collegiate postseason game, this time in the Quarterfinal round at St. Francis University in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This time the drive was only 11 hours, so we were cruising. Being selected to work TWO collegiate playoff games was humbling and gave further indication that staying true to the process and being a great listener to my mentors and teachers was paying dividends.
Basketball season began in November with college basketball during the football season, so having to juggle going to school, working college basketball during the week, and then refereeing college football on Saturdays made for a full plate that required intense focus and differentiation of knowledge for the different types of games I was working.
Flipping a switch was beginning to become second nature for me and that was, is, and will continue to be beneficial for me as I go from HS to College, from football to basketball. In my second season in the KCAC and KJCCC, I ended up working 11 varsity games and a handful of JV games. Those JV games were incredibly beneficial for me because I was able to develop my crew chief capabilities as a referee and practice “running the game,” being totally aware of all things happening during both live ball and dead ball with my partners, players, and coaches.
In the summer of 2017, I also was hired into the MIAA Conference, which is a Division II league in Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Missouri, at age 20. Again, even further confirmation that I was doing the right things, for the right reasons, and those things were paying off. Discipline to stay true to the process is imperative for successful referees, and I am thankful for my mentors teaching me that valuable lesson. I worked 6 Division II games my first year in the league, and the partners I had were beginning to get much better, so that made my job easier: stay in your primary and keep your head down. Coaches came after me a little bit because I am the young guy, the new face in the league, but I welcomed that rather than running away from it. I was blessed with great communication skills and an understanding of knowing when they were legitimately coming at me for a decision I made, and when they were just testing me. Listening with intent, eye contact, and responding appropriately were the three boxes I needed to check off with each interaction I had with players and coaches. That is key in becoming an effective communicator as a referee.
Entering year 2 of working HS basketball, I was committed to getting selected to a state tournament. Young referees like me do not hardly ever sniff the state tournament. However, I was blessed to have support from the state administration (Fran Martin), assignors (Bob Benoit, Kurt McAfee, Teagan Swoboda), and coaches (who vote for referees for postseason recommendations) to be good enough to be selected to work my first state tournament at age 20 in my second season as a referee. It took countless hours of film study with mentors, watching a lot of basketball on TV and in person, and using my teaching skills at Intramurals to get this selection. I remember shouting and running out of my apartment when I got the notification that I was selected to work that state tournament. That is a feeling of accomplishment that is so distinct that I will not forget it. I was quickly brought back down to Earth from my father, who reminded me that this selection was not the “I have arrived” moment, and that there was still work to be done. He always seems to be full of great advice… must be a dad thing.
In March of 2018, I was sent an email that included an invitation to attend NBA Grassroots Camp, the first stage in the hiring process for the NBA G League. I was mid-bite on my Hamburger Helper and spit it out all over the table when I read the email. I was shell-shocked. Faster than you can tie your shoes, I was typing out my acceptance to the camp. Fast forwarding to April, I flew out to Houston, TX for Grassroots. You want to talk about the greatest teaching in the world? I ran out of pages in my BRAND- NEW notebook! All the information from the G League Management Team and the NBA instructors was mind-blowingly simple, yet so clear and concise. I performed well but did not advance to the second stage (Midlevel). This was really the first time I had been to a camp and told “no.” I was bummed, for sure, but I knew that I was not ready. Honest self-assessment kept me from being too down in the dumps. I had never worked pro mechanics before, and even though I picked up a lot of knowledge on the fly and improved a great deal in just two days, it was not substantial enough to make me look like a pro referee, so I was placed on the monitor list. The monitor list is for referees who can be invited back to the level they made it to if they are not advanced. That “rejection” sparked a fire under me, and I knew that if I was invited back that I would show undoubted improvement.
Year 4 (2018-19)
This past year was my fourth year as a referee. In the summer of 2018, I was hired into the MIAA Conference for Football at age 21. The MIAA is also widely regarded as the top Division II Football Conference in the United States. Now, I am a Division II Football and Division II Basketball Referee. This brought even more responsibility, and a new perspective on the business of refereeing. In this conference, we are required to be at the game site 3.5 hours prior to kickoff for pregame responsibilities.
We are required to wear a coat and tie to each game, as well. This shows the professionalism of referees and gives off the impression to coaches, players, fans, and administrators that referees do not show up an hour before the game and are a bunch of rag-tag guys who don’t know what they’re doing. No, we are professionals and do things the right way for the right reasons. This first season in the MIAA was challenging because of the knowledge of the coaches. Typically, they will not come after you unless they have a legitimate gripe.
As a line of scrimmage referee, I had to trust my training and understand that this is still just football, but to remain disciplined in being a great listener and communicator with coaches and players. Effectively communicating a ruling is hard to do, especially with so much emotion involved in coaching, but the best find a way to get to a mutual understanding and give respect before they gain respect. I survived my first year in Division II football and am looking forward to being better than I was last year when opening kickoff is upon us in August.
Additionally, my high school football crew was selected to work the highest classification football state title game in 2018. I got to work the game with two of my mentors and this is one of my most favorite memories in my short time as a referee. STAY. TRUE. TO. THE. PROCESS. AND. GOOD. THINGS. WILL. HAPPEN.
In my third season working HS basketball, I was determined to show even more improvement. I was now known by most, if not all, coaches in the conferences I work in, and was becoming more comfortable in running the game and developing a “Crew Chief” mentality in my games. It is important to show conviction and strength as a young referee, which leads to believability from coaches, players, and fans. With that, it is also just as important to not come off as arrogant or cocky, something that I struggled with a little bit during the summer camps leading up to this year. Confidence, but not arrogance, is what we want to project as referees. For the second consecutive year, I was selected to work a state tournament, this time a state semi-final and a third-place game. Although I am proud of my accomplishment in working consecutive state tournaments, I want to work a state title game this coming season. That is the goal.
In my third season refereeing College Basketball, I was tasked with more difficult conference games in the KJCCC and KCAC. My schedule more than doubled as the assignor became more comfortable in my ability to referee in his conferences. That was a huge boost of confidence for me, and even further affirmation that the process I am devoted to is paying off. In the MIAA, I was also tasked with more difficult conference games, however, my number of games diminished from the previous year. That was a hard pill to swallow, as I was unsure of the reasoning for that. Rather than get angry and bad-mouth the assignor, I worked the games I was assigned to the best of my ability and never uttered a word. It is important for me to trust that the assignor has a rhyme and a reason to how many games he assigned me. It is not my place to decide how many games I get, but whatever number that may be, I will be thankful for the opportunities the assignor grants me and never bat an eye. That is an important lesson to learn for many young referees: never think you are entitled to anything, because the second you bite the hand that feeds you, your food supply will be cut off not only from that hand but from other assignors that work together with the assignor you came after because they did not give you the number of games you wanted.
APPROACHES ON HOW I GOT HERE.
On Camps: Number, Diversity, Getting out of There to get Noticed.
- At the conclusion of summer 2019, I will have been to 31 camps over my four (really three summers) years as a referee. In order to reach the pinnacle of refereeing like I want to, I need to be in a constant pursuit of learning how to attain excellence in my game. How do I do that? Pat myself on the back? No, you go to teaching camps and hiring camps. There is an important distinction that needs to be made between teaching camps and hiring camps:
- Teaching Camps – I have been coast-to-coast attending many different teaching camps throughout my time as a referee. Attending these teaching camps shows my dedication to obtaining as much information in my pursuit of wanting to become the best referee I can. When you go to teaching camps, you should do these things: be a sponge, be yourself, be a good person, show effort and urgency when working, and take this lesson – you have two eyes, two ears, and one mouth… listen and watch 4x as much as you speak, and thank your instructors for every bit of information they give you. Even if the information the instructor is giving you contradicts what you have previously been taught, take it, say yes sir/ma’am, and then contact your most-trusted mentor to get the correct information.
- Hiring Camps – it is a cutthroat environment for the most part. Everyone is out there trying to get noticed/hired or to boost their schedule. This can bring out both the best and the worst in people. Others will badmouth other referees during hiring camps and say things like “no way that guy/girl gets hired, they’re this-that-or-the-other.” Steer clear of these types of referees. The key to having a successful hiring camp performance is to:
EMPOWER THE CREW YOU ARE ON.
An assignor will see a crew that is gelling together incredibly well and take note of that. He/she will also see right through a crew that is individualized and when each referee has their own agendas. Avoid giving assignors any ammunition to NOT hire you!
Developing Good Habits/Fundamentals:
- Discipline – are you studying the rules + mechanics? Do you have a routine?
- Listening – listen 2x as much as you speak, God gave you two eyes and one mouth for a reason
- Communication – developing great communication skills starts with “listening with intent.” Seek first to understand where the player/coach/partner/instructor is coming from, and then seek to respond appropriately with concise information.
- Knowledge of the mechanic’s system
- Effort – this is the most important thing. Complacency and being lethargic are not recipes for success in refereeing.
- Physical Fitness – are you taking care of yourself? Are you working out? Are you eating well? Do you run well? Does your run look athletic?
- Film study – study WHY you are or are not in position to see the play. Ask yourself if you are in a dependable position at the start, during, and at the end of each play. Referee each possession as if it is the ONLY possession.
“Official” vs. “Referee” – distinction and meaning
- There are thousands of officials in the world, but not many “Referees.” I associate the term “referee” as a step above, a step beyond, the run of the mill official. There is a reason that the first person listed on the game is the “R.” I want to promote my student referees to become REFEREES not officials. This develops a killer instinct, a confident swagger, and a sense of “I am running this game and I am in complete control.”
Intramural Supervisor + Impact of Kansas State University Iv’e Learned:
- Teaching
- Knowledge of what I am teaching
- Personal skill development
- Communication
- Differentiation of instruction to more advanced student refs vs. Rookies
- Helping others – providing a service
My Short-Term Goals for 2019-20
- How do we measure improvement? Setting goals
- 40+ college basketball games
- Postseason College football (bowl game or NCAA Playoff Crew)
- State title football + basketball for HS
- Get hired into NBA G League
Nate, here at Referee Rant, we wish you nothing but luck, moving forward. We look forward to your writings and progress as the summer elapses. Pod with Nate, tomorrow. Until –
