I subscribe to a few weekly newsletters, and one that I enjoy reading is James Clear’s 3-2-1 Newsletter. Over three million people receive it every Thursday, and it’s typically packed with valuable insights. Here are a few quotes that stood out to me from his November 7, 2024 article:
“Grow fast, built to crash. Grow slow, built to last.”
In the United States, many of us live in an instant gratification (the desire to get results, rewards, or outcomes immediately without delay or effort) and shortcut (wanting success without the grind) culture. And some may have a microwave mentality (I want fast results with minimal effort).
I’ve met a few football officials who were superstars almost from the time they first stepped on the field (we probably all know someone like that), but most of us had to take a more “journeyman” approach. It took us longer to finally feel comfortable on the field, but we worked at it and didn’t take shortcuts. Here’s a favorite analogy:
Bamboo shoots up fast. It can grow several feet in just a few days. But it’s thin, bends easily, and breaks under pressure. An oak tree, on the other hand, takes decades to grow — but it’s strong, solid, and built to last. Which one do you want to be?
In my rookie year in 2007, a call went out for officials to work a varsity game at a small town 2 hours and 45 minutes from Colorado Springs. I thought many veterans would not be willing to travel that far to work the game (yes, I realize many readers from other states routinely travel that far!). I excitedly emailed my crew chief to let him know I could work the game. His reply was simple, “You are not ready. You need to see more snaps.” I was greatly disappointed, but he was right. I wasn’t ready.
Here’s the other side of the coin: With low officiating numbers, you may need to step up (when needed) before you really feel ready. So, this is really a “both/and” conversation. Don’t expect instant success, but work hard to be prepared to be the “next person up” when your crew chief or assignor needs a quality new(er) official to fill a spot.
“A critical quality to develop in life is the willingness to try. You simply must find enough confidence to give it a go.”
I call it the “Ugly Duckling Syndrome.” It’s uncomfortable being new and having others point out our faults during and after every game. Learning to be an outstanding football official requires us to feel anxious and awkward a lot of the time. Our learning curve is almost vertical when we start, and even years later, we continue to make mistakes (some significant).
Have the confidence to “fail forward.” Don’t lose heart when you screw up a play or have a “bad” game. Connect with your mentor or a trusted official and discuss what happened, identify the lessons learned, and get back on track.
Quiz
3/6 from the A-30. A33 is hit at the A-28 and fumbles. To keep the ball from going out of bounds, B65 bats the ball at the A-25. A17 falls on the ball at the A-18. On which yard line will B65’s illegal batting foul be enforced?
- A-18 (dead ball spot)
- A-25 (spot of the foul)
- A-28 (end of the run)
- A-30 (previous spot)
Review Rules 2-33-1c, 10-4-2b and 10-4-4a