Overweight officials

[maven]

Perception is reality.

A very, very old maxim. In fact, we used to say, esse ist percipi.


maven

[TxSkyBolt]

Only if the perceiver is someone who matters.

[Rulesman]

and the 'perceiver' is the one the one receiving the message you are sending out. That is the reality.

Exactly right.

[Magician]

At the Tom Beard clinic last year, a statement from one of the Southern Conference commissioners stuck with me.

"Thin is In"  he said in a thick Southern drawl. 

Then, at the Lehigh Valley clinic, (which is run by the Centennial Conference), they spent a lot of time talking about weight loss and fitness. 

That being said, most of the officials on my board (especially the umpires) are overweight, and many are obese.  Yet, this includes some of the best ones on the board.  What separates them from other guys is their anticipation of plays, soundness of their mechanics, and fundamental rules knowledge. 

In my opinion, physical fitness and conditioning is a very important part of being the best official you can be, but it is only a part.  Rules knowledge, mechanics, and game management skills are also extremely important.  In the off season, you do have more control over your fitness and weight than some of the other skills that come easier during the season.  Your weight won't prevent you from getting on a board, but any lack of willingness to improve in ALL aspects of officiating will definitely affect your progress and how long you remain an official. 

The collegiate conferences (especially the higher level ones) can be this picky.  When you have 50 applicants for 3 spots and the top 20 are all equally qualified, weight is definitely going to be a differentiator.  Perception is reality and when I see an overweight official (especially one who doesn't move well), I assume they are not a good official.  They can be the best rules person and truly understand philosophy and mechanics, but they have already lost a notch in my opinion of them.  Coaches tell me the same thing.

And I'm someone who could easily stand to lose 50-60 pounds so it applies to me.

[ljudge]

I moved to D-I last year and we have a BMI requirement.  I believe the magic number is 30.  Just to give you a frame of reference I'm around 24 (5'8" and 162).  You need to remember as you move up so does the athleticism and skill.  You need to be in awesome shape to keep up with these athletes.  I'm now a back judge and work out about 8 hours a week between lifting and cardio.  I still got beat to the goal line in a D-II game this year on a 99.5-yard touchdown pass.  It was only by 5 yards but they say "never" get beat.  Remember guys it's about the athlethes "not us and our careers" so if you want to be able to keep up with them you need to be able to keep up your own fitness requirements.  I saw a back judge at a high school game I attended get beat to the goal line by 10 yards on a 60-yard run.  He had a 20-yard head start.  That's "crazy" unacceptable!  Even you umpires need to have that quickness to get out of the way of crossing routes.

[bossman72]

If you're an overweight official, the first 2 things someone thinks about you when they first see you is that you're 1) dumb and 2) lazy.  This might not be the case at all, but that's how people think!!!

[Sumstine]

If you're an overweight official, the first 2 things someone thinks about you when they first see you is that you're 1) dumb and 2) lazy.  This might not be the case at all, but that's how people think!!!

Don't agree. When you make a call a fan or coach does not agree with you are dumb and when you don't you are dumb and lazy. It does not take a track star to work football and if it did a good number of the NFL officials would be out of a job. I have worked with and observed many overweight officials who have had fine careers and some very fit officials who I would not want to work with. The hiring focus has gotten out of hand. If you are obese it is another story but overweight and good I will take any day.

[Rulesman]

Matt, do you think the hiring focus has gotten out of hand because of TV and social media, or is it just another check mark that can be utilized to thin the applicant pool (no pun intended)?

[StudyingFutureZebra]

I moved to D-I last year and we have a BMI requirement.  I believe the magic number is 30.  Just to give you a frame of reference I'm around 24 (5'8" and 162).  You need to remember as you move up so does the athleticism and skill.  You need to be in awesome shape to keep up with these athletes.  I'm now a back judge and work out about 8 hours a week between lifting and cardio.  I still got beat to the goal line in a D-II game this year on a 99.5-yard touchdown pass.  It was only by 5 yards but they say "never" get beat.  Remember guys it's about the athlethes "not us and our careers" so if you want to be able to keep up with them you need to be able to keep up your own fitness requirements.  I saw a back judge at a high school game I attended get beat to the goal line by 10 yards on a 60-yard run.  He had a 20-yard head start.  That's "crazy" unacceptable!  Even you umpires need to have that quickness to get out of the way of crossing routes.

That's a good point. Looking at the BMI chart, to meet the D-1 BMI requirement, I'd need to lose 101 pounds. That's not something that's going to happen any time soon, even with bariatric surgery, which is something I'm intending to do in the near future. Unfortunately, some of us are at a genetic disadvantage on this matter, and for some, surgery is the last option. Now hopefully I'll have recovered enough to maybe take the field this coming season, but who knows. If there's anyone else on here who has had the Lap Band surgery, how long did it take to go back to work?

[bossman72]

Don't agree. When you make a call a fan or coach does not agree with you are dumb and when you don't you are dumb and lazy. It does not take a track star to work football and if it did a good number of the NFL officials would be out of a job. I have worked with and observed many overweight officials who have had fine careers and some very fit officials who I would not want to work with. The hiring focus has gotten out of hand. If you are obese it is another story but overweight and good I will take any day.

I agree with everything you just said, but I was referring more to first impressions by coaches (without seeing any action on the field). 

[Magician]

I agree with everything you just said, but I was referring more to first impressions by coaches (without seeing any action on the field). 

I consider myself an overweight official (although not as obviously obese as some I see) and I have this first impression of officials I see for the first time.  My opinion can change after watching them work if I see them moving properly or making a key call.  For a coach or fan, the only thing they have to go on is appearance.  If they see a call they think is incorrect, the first impression will have a huge impact on what they think of your call.

I also realize my weight has an impact on my ability to advance to higher levels of college football.  I'm OK with that because I can likely do something about it.  If I were a supervisor having to hire college officials and had a large pool of applicants, appearance would definitely be a factor.

[bossman72]

For a coach or fan, the only thing they have to go on is appearance.  If they see a call they think is incorrect, the first impression will have a huge impact on what they think of your call.

Yes, this is what I was getting at

[blindref757]

I watched an overweight official from Abilene work the TX 5A state finals and he did an excellent job.  He hustled every play, had a great rapport with both coaches, and did a really good job with the mic and 60 yard wide video board in Cowboys/ATT Stadium.  He wasn't perfect, but dumb and lazy are not two adjectives you would ever use to describe him.