As the season wraps for many of us (and props to those of you still going) and the offseason begins, it’s important to recognize that the offseason can be as important to officials development as the regular season.
The most important thing to improving our officiating game is reps. Throwing the stripes (and rulebook) in the back of closet for 6 months until the next season starts is doing ourselves a disservice and stunting our development as officials. Here are some things to do as you look for the best ways to develop in the offseason.
You can feel it in the streets
On a day like this, the heat
It feel like summer
I feel like summer – Childish Gambino
COUNT YOUR GAMES
Look back at your schedule from the past season andcount up the games you worked on different levels. A handful of varsity games may stick out in your mind, but does that really make you a varsity official? Are you content with the level you are at? There may be nothing wrong with that, but you still have to work to maintain it.
“Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.”– Jay-Z
COUNT YOUR $$$
The cost of camps, gym memberships, personal trainers, additional equipment and all the other expenses that go into elevating your game can come with some sticker shock. It can help justify the expenses (whether in your own mind or to a partner) to look back at the money you’ve earned over the previous season. In addition, look back at open nights you went without a game, or the game fees at the next level. Shelling out some money for camps may not be as painful if your eyes are on the prize.
But without no
‘Cause I don’t like to dream
So I dig into the book of rhymes that I made
To now test to see if I got pull
Hit the studio, ‘cause I’m paid in full. – Rakim
SELF-EVALUATE
Look at film as well as evaluations from coaches, partners and evaluators. You may need to take each of these with a grain of salt, but with some distance between the game and the evaluation, you may be able to be less defensive and more self-critical. Honest self-evaluation can help with putting together a plan to elevate your game in the offseason.
Seven billion souls that move around the sun
Rolling faster, faster, not a chance to slow down
Slow down
Men who made machines that want what they decide
Parents tryna tell the children please slow down
Slow down – Childish Gambino
MANAGE YOUR TIME
Maybe you officiate an additional sport, or have a family that you haven’t seen in a while. Has your performance at work slipped due to your focus on the basketball season? Most of us can’t make a 24/7 commitment to the game of basketball. Knowing what our other priorities are can help us be realistic about how much time we can spend in the offseason improving our craft. If we are realistic about the fact that we may only have one night a week to devote to basketball officiating, we can determine how to invest that time to for maximum gain.
SET REALISTIC GOALS
Having a clear goal of where you want to be may be the primary driver of how you invest your offseason time. It’s great to aim high, but probably not realistic to jump from Middle School to Varsity in one offseason. Once you identify a realistic goal, focus in on how to get there. If your goal is to move up a level, how do those determinations get made? Tryout camps can be important, but teaching camps may be just as beneficial. If your goal is to see better competition and get reps, what leagues and tournaments are available for you to work.
FIND MENTORS
Having mentors can be incredibly valuable, and not just in-season. Looking for mentors at the level you want to work is important, but don’t neglect mentors at all levels. All mentors can bring knowledge, experience and honest feedback, even if they are content being a Varsity official and you want to get to the college level. Mentors may be more willing to have an honest conversation about what’s holding you back. Peers may feel uncomfortable bringing up issues like conditioning, appearance and how you are perceived with an organization, but a mentor can bring issues like these to your attention.
“Practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect”
– Vince Lomabrdi
Until Next Week. Nick D’Amato
