I got this from a camp I went to this spring. It was written by a director of officials who used to officiate in the Big 12. Every statement hits home!
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Why Am I A Football Official?
It’s standing on the field listening to the National Anthem with your eyes closed and your hat over your heart, thanking
God for your life and your country. + It’s walking onto the field and seeing the relieved look on the face of a coach that knows he’s got a great crew tonight. + It’s the long drive to the game reviewing every detail of rules and mechanics and yet having time for a joke or two. + It’s every story that begins with, “remember when” + It’s the genuine look of concern on your crewmates faces when one of your brothers has fallen, and the round of laughter shortly thereafter when it’s obvious he’s alright. + It’s officiating a game shortly before and after your father dies because he taught you what honor is and to always do
your duty + It’s sitting silently at the association meeting listening to others figure out a complicated ruling then having
them turn to you and ask--Is that right? + It’s leaving your family for a 3 day clinic, and your wife supporting you in that
decision and your dream, because she understands that if “its not good for me, then its not good for us.” + It’s bringing an extra pair of socks along just in case somebody forgets theirs. + It’s meeting someone and finding out he’s an official and immediately becoming good friends because of that fact. + It’s working through the sore muscles, bad knees and the smell of “Ben-Gay”. + It’s lost job wages, small game fees, and that smile on your face when someone says, “you’re just doing this for the money”. + It’s the feel of your heart pounding before the coin toss as you reach into your pocket for the coin that isn’t there. + It’s finishing
a 3rd grade game and having a 9 year old run up to you and sincerely say, “Thank you Mr. Official” + It’s hearing that a coach was putting you down behind your back, and that another official defended you by saying “he’s the best official in the state”. + It’s having to “buy the first round” because you’re the first to get dirt on your knickers during the game. + It’s that “one play” that happened years ago that your crew keeps talking about. You all know the one. + It’s the 8 x 8 foot dressing room they
give you with a shower head that barely works. + It’s leading by the example of hard work, and sportsmanship, and hoping some of that will rub off on players, coaches, fans, and other officials. + It’s knowing that no matter what happens during the game, you’ll get it right. + It’s also knowing that the greatest sign of wisdom is realizing that you don’t know everything. +
It’s Snickers bars, beef jerky and sodas made from fermented grains. + It’s rule books, discussion boards, and countless e-mail’s and good friends whose faces you have yet to see. + It’s striving to be both a scholar of the rules, and a philosopher of the spirit of the game. + It’s being perfect the first day and working to improve everyday thereafter. + It’s knowing that you’re a part of a tradition of honorable men, names of whom are mostly forgotten or weren’t really known to begin with. But who still did their thankless jobs for the love of the game, and because it was the right thing to do. + It’s all these things, and many more I’m sure, that keep all of us coming back for more, year after year, and wondering why. But then you step on the field again, …
Take a deep breath.. and ask yourself, “where would I rather be than right here right now?""
