By Jeffrey Stern
Just as the meteorological seasons change, so too do the local association seasons drift from one to another. Wrapping up the sport meetings for one year in a high-quality way is important, as is setting the stage for next year’s meetings.
As the training officer for your group, it’s important to know that the members are getting what they need. Formally or informally, it’s a good idea to ask the members what worked best in the meetings from the soon-to-be-completed season. Were they excited about a guest speaker? Did they enjoy a role-playing exercise you devised? Are there any topics you didn’t cover they feel need to be addressed? Providing that information gives members a feeling of ownership, that they have a say in what’s presented.
If your position is an elected position, you should let the association leaders know as soon as possible whether or not you choose to seek re-election. If you decide before the season ends that you need to step down, early warning gives the board a chance to begin soliciting nominations and it gives your successor time to prepare for the change. It also might inspire a member who wouldn’t otherwise think of running for office to give it a shot. You may find a diamond in the rough that way.
Before settling on the topics you’ll want to cover next season, wait for the rules and mechanics changes to be announced. If you try to work too far ahead, some of your material may no longer be correct due to the changes. Remember that you’ll probably want to cover the changes in one of the early season meetings.
If your association operates a preseason camp, and you’re in charge of the program, you’ll need to decide on the site and dates. Once that is taken care of, put together the program. If the camp is geared toward newer officials, make sure all of the basics are covered. Save advanced mechanics and philosophies for a more experienced audience. Take care in selecting other clinicians as well. Be sure they are knowledgeable but able to speak to the level of the audience. An official who works in the pros or major college is a great draw, but may actually be detrimental if they fall back on old war stories or speak beyond the level of the campers.
Once you decide on the topics for the next season’s meetings, think about members in the association who may be able to help you present. If a member had a high-profile run-in with a coach, a meeting devoted to dealing with coaches would benefit from that official’s experience. Using other members to help present takes some of the burden off your shoulders and ensures that yours is not the only voice the members hear. Use your group’s email list or other means to communicate before the season what the topics will be. Some members may make a special effort to attend meetings if the material is of particular interest to them.
Being the training officer isn’t necessarily a 12-month-a-year job, but doing it well requires some planning and offseason effort. It will pay dividends in the long run.
Jeffrey Stern is Referee’s senior editor. He officiates high school football and formerly officiated college football and high school baseball.
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