There are many benefits of officiating youth sports. And, in my opinion, they far outweigh the negatives press youth officiating is receiving in the press these days. Yes, there are problems but with the right training and approach, those same problems can be mitigated into a manageable experience.
My interest in officiating was to provide me with a means of staying active, period. I decided to sign up with a local association and see how it went. Part of the preparation to become an official was to get in shape. So, I would run in the neighborhood or around the track at the local high school. Once the games began, I would also be able to use that time to stay active. It was a very simple solution to something I felt was important, staying healthy. This approach to a healthy lifestyle didn’t take up too much time, either.
Since I had played football in youth leagues, high school and college, I found that officiating kept me connected with the sport I came to enjoy at an early age. I knew the game from a strategy standpoint, but the intricacies of the rules were a challenge to me in the beginning. I was taught early on in my officiating career that if something didn’t create a competitive advantage, if was probably best to leave it alone. In other words, don’t be overly technical. That kept me out of a lot of trouble. Yes, I still made mistakes, but I was able to learn from them and not repeat them in the future. There was a sense of pride and accomplishment for knowing the small details of the game and being able to apply them fairly.
As time moved on, I realized that my personal and professional relationship skills were developing. Sports can be very emotional. At times. Coaches and players react to these emotions. It’s a normal part of the game. There are going to be times where their emotions are going to come pouring out. As long as it’s not completely out of control and not presented in a personal attack towards an official, let them express themselves and move on. Generally speaking, it will dissipate fairly quickly. It’s amazing how this can translate back into your personal and professional life. It helps keep things in perspective.
As an official, you’re giving something back to your community. You become a role model to the younger generation. Officiating is where fairness and good sportsmanship are taught. Being in this role can and should create a sense of pride and accomplishment.
A good official is an accomplished communicator and can make quick decisions. This takes some time to develop but when you spend time perfecting these requirements, you’ll actually be able to spend more time working the game and less time dealing with players and coaches.
The final area of this article revolves around game fees. Yes, the money you earn from working youth sports is a nice bonus but shouldn’t be the driving force for doing so. From a purely business perspective, officiating sports for the sole purpose of earning some extra money should never happen. It takes considerable time and commitment to become a good official. Think about the total amount of time required to get in shape, attend meetings, travel to game sites and actually work the games. Then divide the total amount you earn in game fees by the amount of time required. At the youth and high school level, you’ll be making minimum wage earnings, at best. So, if you’re thinking about officiating for the sole purpose of make some extra money, go find something else to do.
There are other benefits of officiating that are not listed here. Officiating is not for everybody. But, if you’ve ever thought about becoming an official, give it a try. The only regret I have concerning my officiating is not having started at an earlier age. That’s it. I will make this one promise: if you make the commitment to be the best official you can be, you will reap the rewards of getting involved in a sport that you too, probably fell in love with early in life. Why not give it a try?