After a bad weekend

[James]

Hi everyone
Just want to blow off some steam after a bad weekend.

First, I had a rough game with a bunch of small errors and inconsistencies, and a lot of stress by the players. I felt like I was in the middle of a Kindergarten class with how much whining was going on.
I spent so much time doing talk tos and preventative, that I was sometimes distracted from other elements - for instance I completely missed a huge illegal snap. Anyways. Long tiring game that I was unhappy with.

Then in the change room, I get a little gossip about the white hat I had 2 weeks ago (we don't have set crews here). This official, who is also a ranking member of the association was mouthing off about how bad an official I am, and that I should be stopped from advancing. I have the highest level license here, but have not been called up to the highest league yet. Partially because of limited openings, but more and more I had the feeling that there was some politics involved. So it looks like this official, and I can easily assume others in the inner-circle of this person might very well be blocking me.
Not much that I can do about any of it. I will keep working at being a good official, and maybe one day will be invited up a level, but it is a bit depressing.

I figure my options are to request to not be assigned with this official - which I think would be a childish way to react, or the next time I'm on their crew to mention that I heard about this, and say that I hope they will help guide me to become a better official. I don't expect anything will come of it, but I figure it shows that I am trying to improve, and don't have any beef with them.

I know we are supposed to have thick skin, but some weeks it doesn't feel thick enough.

<end whining>

[HLinNC]

 Bad stuff happens.  We all get a game, a coach, an official, that gets under our skin.  It may sound cliched but "this too shall pass" was a favorite  saying of my old boss,

[Osric Pureheart]

I spent so much time doing talk tos and preventative, that I was sometimes distracted from other elements - for instance I completely missed a huge illegal snap.

Just a thought; trying to get players legal and work with them is all well and good where possible, but there are times when the easiest way of obtaining compliance is with one flag at the right moment that focuses players' minds on "oh, I just cost my team some yards, maybe I should listen to the helpful chap in the funny shirt".

[bossman72]

Just a thought; trying to get players legal and work with them is all well and good where possible, but there are times when the easiest way of obtaining compliance is with one flag at the right moment that focuses players' minds on "oh, I just cost my team some yards, maybe I should listen to the helpful chap in the funny shirt".

Amen!

[AlUpstateNY]

A harsh reality is accepting that we're not ALWAYS as good as we can be, for any number of reasons.  Some days we're just better than others.  When you have doubts about your performance, you're probably right, and that serves as an opportunity to have a serious discussion and review with "the man in your mirror', who it's really hard to fool.

Discuss what you did, how you reacted to those situations you're troubled about and think about how you should have acted and maybe how you should have been prepared to respond.  Some version of whatever happened is likely to happen again, and if you've really thought about your reaction, you'll be far better prepared to deal with similar situations when they surface again.

How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.  Pursuing "Perfection" requires a long journey  along a road with a lot of potholes we step in, and hopefully learn to climb out of, to avoid stepping in when they appear again.  I don't think anyone has ever made it all the way to "Perfection", but the trip is worthwhile.

Listen to that face in your mirror, and don't waste your time trying to BS him.