You Don't Know What You Don't Know

You know what is the most FRUSTRATING part of being a high level referee?

You don't know what you don't know.

You know what is the most OBLIVIOUS part of being an amateur, beginner, status quo ref?


You don't know what you don't know.

Trust me...they are very different feelings.

Let's start with the upper level referee.  This is the guy who has "made it" or is on his way to hopefully making it (in my case, I "made it" when I worked the WCHA and the IIHF.  This was also the case when I was reffing a lot of USHL, working my way towards the WCHA/IIHF).

You wonder if your penalty selection is still good?  Does that need improvements?  How about your communication choices with coaches?  I am not talking about your communication skills overall (because they tend to be what they tend be - you wouldn't have gotten this far if you weren't able to communicate).  I am talking about handling different situations, the ones that tend to be difficult, like when a coach gives you the "choke" sign, or when a line brawl occurs.

You see...you always wonder, you always think, "Am I getting it right?"  You sure do wish someone would tell you, because...no one usually does.  The supervision at these levels can be few and far between.  You don't know what you don't know, and it could just eat you up inside.

There have been referees who work the minor pros who have "cracked".  Seriously, this is stuff that has caused ulcers, stress, loss of sleep, even more serious mental conditions.  Why?  If you take your job with the utmost importance and you pour your 'heart and soul' into reffing, you really want to know if you made the right decisions (which aren't always the correct ones...know what I mean?).

These guys in the minors, they spend soooo much time in their car, driving all over creation, all alone with their thoughts.  No one to bounce ideas off of, and feeling...well...on an island.  And I am not talking about an island with a tropical drink melting in your hand.

Now for the "inexperienced" referee.  This is the guy who is just starting to learn that he wants to do something cool with his life (err, something cool with his reffing).  In my case, this was when I started to go to camps (MHOA and then Western Regional).  This was when I first started to work junior games (MJHL and USHL), and definitely when I first started to work high school.

I have been watching these "types" of guys very, very closely for the past three seasons.  Here are some findings:

• They just do what everyone else is doing, which may include being lazy at whistles, skating around with facial hair or an unkempt look, not working the goal line correctly, simply calling 'black and white' penalties, and basically showing up and just being there.
  

• They get advice from people who are NOT above them in the food chain, therefore, they get poor, sometimes downright neglectful advice, and think nothing of it.
  

• They have the same mental mindset when working games, which, can be, "how do I get more of the good, high paying games?"  They are typically not following any type of philosophy.

I call this type of officiating "incestual".  You could say, "the blind leading the blind," but I say incestual, because, after awhile, everyone looks the same, more and more like each other, and they get dumber and dumber.  Incestual.

Ever care to find out "what you don't know"?

There are over 20 guys in the [Ultimate Officials Referee Camp] doing just that.  I am kind of scared/frustrated/upset that they could have been following someone else's lead.  Gulp.

What in the Name of Bill Belichek are You Doing?

Doesn't that "hoodie" look great?!? I love it!

How about some "X's" and "O's" to make you a better official?

Is Belichek a misunderstood genius or a riverboat gambler?

Care to look at the thing beyond just scratching the surface level?

What are you trying to prove again, J.B.???

Developing the best hockey referees (without cutting corners) in the shortest amount of time.  Or, for example, "is there a way to teach a ref with 5 years experience to referee like he had 20 years experience?"

Familiar with the Bill Belichek debate from last Sunday's Colts v. Patriots game?  If you don't know, Belichek went for it on 4th down, with the ball on their own 28 yard line, with 2:08 left.  Ballsy?  Maybe not.  How about playing the percentages?  Well...you gotta punt, right?

When I first heard this news, I thought of this HS coach who never punts, kicks PAT's/Field Goals, and does all on-sides kicks.  That guy is Kevin Kelley and here is an interview of him on ESPN: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4577094

What's this got to do with creating the best referees?  How about this:

• breaking down the game on a shift by shift basis to help predict outcomes
• analyzing all positioning on the ice to give concrete data on where you can best place a ref
• breaking down the skating elements to best train hockey refs (I apologize to all skating students out there, but I honestly believe that I have sold you all short.  If you have had me in any power skating instruction, I have taught you the best I could, with all my heart, but I have discovered I was missing an IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT piece.  Sorry.)
• teaching the "feel" of the game to increase success rates (another thing you can research and document)
• teaching officials the proper things to say to be the best communicator

See this explanation:

(oops...I guess to see more, you have to be a part of the Ultimate Officials Referee Camp.  You might be saying, 'J.B., looks like it started on Nov. 1,' and you'd be right.  But, you need to know that our camps are broken down into 3 month segments to coincide with the year-round training for hockey referees.  Therefore, any program you would start (like now, today) would run for three months.)

I Was Wondering if You Missed It

You may have been too busy (I get that).  You may have thought it wouldn't be interesting (really??).  You may have thought that it was more of the same (trust me, it isn't).  Whatever the case, I thought I would give you a chance to take a sneek peak at the video below. It is the first in a series that...really...in all likelihood...will turn referee instruction upside down.  (I never would have done this were it not for [this].  I didn't have the cajones to do that.  Well...it's amazing how you can grow some courage to take on an industry when influential people are on your side, kind of like, "Yeah, you and what army??" - IALTO).

This video sneak peek is all your going to get.  If you want more, you'll have to register on the link below.  I don't want this kind of information getting out to the wrong people.  They might say stuff like, "J.B. is throwing all kinds of people under the bus."

Predicting the Future - Ref style

I went to a Jr. A Tier III game last night.  I was there to collect data on the game, like what the referee was doing, work/rest ratios, stoppages, and so on.  My reason for doing all the "geeked-up" type stuff is that I want to break the game down into its most basic elements to better instruct hockey referees.  This is key to really giving a guy an edge where he may need one.  Either physically (for example, do you know how many times a ref in the 1-2 system will sprint the ENTIRE length of the ice -- all 200 feet -- in any given game?  I do.), or mentally (do you know how many times a linesman will have to be aware of icings/offsides in any given game?  I do.).

What does this and a hill of beans mean to you?

It means you can predict the future.

Before you go on further, I want you to read this [link] (please be sure to come back :)

Did you know that Gretzky stepped down as the coach of the Coyotes today?

(hint/hint: He was really, really good at being one step ahead of the competition)

Gretzky's Last Game as a Player (and other stuff):

Q: What does all of this have to do with each other???

A: Being one step ahead of the play (or...predicting the future).

The best refs are the one's who are one step ahead of the play.  They anticipate actions, retaliations, sometimes really bad shtuff, and even what type of game you are going to have.  Now, I am not quite as good as Carnac (that Johnny Carson picture up there, for all you young punks, he was on the Tonight Show before Jay Leno -- hehehe), but with my arsenal of data, I did correctly predict the 3rd period of last night's game.  Pure luck?  Nope.  You would be AMAZED how uncanny it is that hockey games move in predictable patterns.  Game in, game out, season in, season out, they move in very predictable patterns.  There happened to be a supervisor at that game last night, and I told him exactly what was going to happen in the 3rd period.  I was right.  No luck involved.  Just a bunch of yellow legal pads full of notes, stats, skating diagrams, and situations. 

Wanna have that edge?  Wanna predict the future of your games, be one step ahead like Gretzky and Nate Lawson?  Come hang out with [me].

Or just watch old Tonight Show reruns.

There's Something in the Air...

At the risk of sounding like an old grandfather, who always reminisces about the "good ol' days" I am going to talk about the mid 1990's...get a little nostalgic for you and talk about history, tradition, and culture.

For those of you who may have heard this before, I speak about a group of officials that I came up through the ranks with. It was a time when there was a serious camaraderie and culture of not necessarily excellence, BUT A COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE (you see, we were all a little green, and had many lessons to learn, but we committed to each other).

This "TEAM OF OFFICIALS" was led by the likes of Teddy Olson. In 1995, many members of this "TEAM OF OFFICIALS" went to Western Regional Camp and kicked ass and took names. From that group there has been an NHL linesmen, 5 WCHA officials, numerous IIHF assignments, and numerous USA Hockey National Championship assignments.

It was a "Commitment to Excellence". (Do you like the Raiders? Me, I am a Vikings guy...poor me. And, no, I don't want Brett Favre around. I would like a real quarterback, but I don't want him.)


This was the culture that was created. Have you ever belonged to something special in your life. A group that was truly unique? Other than this time in the mid 1990's, I would seriously have to go all the back to my first years in PeeWees and Bantams. Maybe my freshman year of football. That's about it -- maybe you don't have any such memory. Would you like to start a new memory?

LET'S FAST FORWARD TO ABOUT 2004 -- No more culture...no more commitment to anything. Sure, our "team" from the mid 1990's was out rockin' and doing things in our own referee careers, but nobody was following us. The former Minnkota district was allowed 8 slots at the Western Regional Camp, based upon the number of registered officials we have. Only 4 guys went. Our "team" went from kicking ass and taking names to not even being able to fulfill a quota. Now that sucks.

Time to do something about it...

Fast forward to 2009 - there is a great group of guys going to Western Regional Camp this year. The quota is filled! With quality, not just quantity. There are some great guys going to MHOA Camp and the Minnkota Camp. National Camp has some quality representation. There is a change in the air. Ultimate Officials invites all who want to be a part of a "Commitment to Excellence".

Someone asked me, "What's the ideal person for this team?" My answer was, "I am looking for the C+ type guy who is hungry as hell. The local guy who wants to be his best and work the Bantam championship game. They may be 22 years old, or the may be 46 years old. But they have GOT to have that hunger. And they have GOT to want it bad."

SNEEZERS

I have talked about Sneezers before, too. [Sneezers] send things through the air, too. They are the ones who REALLY make things happen.

Who are the Sneezers in your midst who can help you out?

After all, it is more about associations than anything else that can REALLY move your career forward [Read here].

To put this part plain and simple, last night I was at the Velocity Hockey Center with 8 gentlemen who have a "Commitment to Excellence". They are part of a new culture here who are hungry and want it bad. Whether they realize it or not, they are also a placing themselves amongst some Sneezers...there is the head trainer at the center named Kevin Ziegler. He has trained and does train NHL players. He has been asking for awhile (unknown to me) that a group of USHL refs come train there. He has wanted referees to come in, get off their butt, and take their game to the next level. Well, Bubba, he's got them now.

Do you think there will be talk? About the fact that 8 referees are now going to be showing up on a regular basis to train? Oh yeah...

There are Sneezers in your midst who make things happen, and you never know who they may be. Guess what?? I'll tell you.

Better tell you friends. Because there's something in the air...

The Frist SWAT Proposal

"This is an evolution, NOT a revolution."

J.B. Olson

Below is the EXACT letter I wrote to USA Hockey in May of 2007. Compare that to this link: New USA Hockey Proposal

Dear Leader,

There are many courses available on self-improvement, personal development, goal setting and peak performance training. There is also an excellent education and training program through USA Hockey’s Officiating Education Program, including annual seminar training for Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4, evaluation and mentoring programs, all the way up to the national development camps of Regional, National, and the Officiating Program of Merit. My proposal is to mend the two areas together. My proposal is to address the needs of all involved in the USA Hockey Officiating Program, in order to give provide an even higher level of training and consultation.

PROPOSAL: Establish a year round training, consultation, and information marketing business to supplement the training and education of the USA Hockey program.

This program is called the S.W.A.T. Team Development for Ice Hockey Officials.

S.W.A.T. = Special Weapons and Tactics

Mission Statement for S.W.A.T. = The S.W.A.T. Team is dedicated to continual personal development and advanced training of the ice hockey official. We do this by offering continual training in all aspects of ice hockey officiating through seminars, reports, manuals, coaching, consultation and monthly development tools. The S.W.A.T. Team will promote, recruit, and maintain personal relationships in the local communities to grow the number of ice hockey and inline officials through marketing and fundraising events.

The S.W.A.T. Team, which will remain independent of USA Hockey and is a non-profit institution, is dedicated to USA Hockey and all that it promotes. The S.W.A.T. Team in no way or manner wishes to replace or compete with USA Hockey Officiating Program. Let me put it this way – I love USA Hockey, what it has done for me and my family, and I look to give back to the program in time, talent, effort, and money. I have tasted the “sweet stuff” that USA Hockey has offered and I will always keep that in mind.

Sincerely,

J.B. Olson

The S.W.A.T. Team President, Speaker and Author

*************************************************************************************

"The times they are a changin'..."

Bob Dylan

More come soon....

Game Day Blog - 2/05 - Shoot You with a Rubber Bullet

What is the number one difference between a "cagey veteran" and aguy who is a bit on the "green side"? Veterans don't fall asleep, and green horns will pick a time to unfortunately "doze off".

I remember it all too well. I was there. I used to do it, too. I remember a game in particular, Waterloo at Green Bay in the USHL at the old Brown County Coliseum (what a dump), and I dozed off in what was turning into a routine game and routine rout for Waterloo. I doze off and all of a sudden I have missed a major stick violation, there is a fight on the ice, and I am not sure how it all started. WHAT IN THE HECK WAS I THINKING?!? I wasn't...it seems to happen.

That's where the rubber bullet comes in...

The Secret Service train their agents to react to situations in a calm, cool, collected way AFTER they have been shot. In their training, they will unexpectedly shoot them with a rubber bullet, measure their heart rate, and observe their response and reactions. After all, these are people who sign up to "take a bullet for the President". They'd better be able to be level-headed when they get shot.

This practice will continue until their heart rate stays at a low rate, because you think better with a lower heart rate as opposed to a heart that is racing.

In other words, they want their field agents used to the feeling of being shot.

Maybe we should shoot inexperienced officials with rubber bullets to help them speed up the learning curve, and get them to STOP FALLING ASLEEP AT IN-OPPORTUNE TIMES.

On the this night, working a high school game, I saw the partner's I was with fall asleep. Things happened, and they missed it. I could chalk it up as "it's part of the learning process" or I could give them advice to help eliminate that from happening again.

Do you want REAL SPECIFIC advice to avoid "falling asleep" in a game? Contact me at:

info@ultimateofficials.com

Ref 2.0 is Here!!!

I am happy to announce that the Ultimate Officials Ref 2.0 program is now running! I am happy for those who chose to participate (don't get me wrong...it's not that I'm not happy), but I am happy because referee instruction is now the way that people want it -- visual, game situations, memorable, and, if I have any say, remarkable.

So many times I have been in a camp or seminar setting and have heard from participants, "I wish we could see MORE VIDEO..." We have had campers dutifully fill out feedback and camp evaluation forms, with most of them saying, "More Video, please".

I even had my assumptions proven this past summer about visual learners!!

At the MHOA Camp in June of 2008, there were 11 participants. 6 of them said they preferred seeing examples, videos, visuals over any other medium. 5 of them said they preferred "learning by doing" over any other medium. NOBODY SAID THEY PREFERRED LECTURE! (Reading can be the same as lecture...very, very low retention rates).

At the Minnkota Camp in August of 2008, there were 18 participants. 10 of them said they preferred seeing examples, videos, visuals over any other medium. 7 of them said they preferred "learning by doing" over any other medium. (1) SAID THEY PREFERRED LECTURE!

Well...we are trying to teach something, aren't we?!?!?....These people do want to RETAIN the information, don't they?!?!?...Why not use video? If you want to learn the best, then you need to use video...if you don't use it, and instead use lecture (dry/boring), then they won't learn the best. Just use video!!

We did, and now you can learn...for more information, contact me:

info@ultimateofficials.com

Thanks,

JB Olson

p.s. Those who wait, hem and haw, procrastinate...they aren't the 5%-ers. I am looking for 5%-ers. Contact me at info@ultimateofficials.com and you will get a whole series of videos to take you to the next level.

ALERT!!! Danger!!! You May Be in the 95%

When I was coming up through the "ranks" as an official, there was a group of us officials who really pushed each other. We brought out the best in each other. We were discovering so innocently (sometimes not-so-innocently) and sweetly the secret of officiating:

Being a hockey official is at the same time the greatest group for camaraderie and competition. You work in an environment where (almost) everyone cheers for you, pushes you up, and also wants your job!


That meant competition. We competed in everything...how many miles you could drive to work a game, the number of games, the quality of games, the number of playoff games, the assignment for the finals or the championship game...even who could race the fastest to the net when the whistle blew. Heck, when I was younger and cockier, any time a linesman would cover for me while I was reffing a 1-2 game, I tried to beat him to the net!! And I did a few times! There was NO WAY anybody was going to show me up.

Loved it...loved the competition.

That's how you get in the 5% club -- The top 5% of your field.

Here's what I sadly see when I am at the arena most nights...

Referee "A" is coasting around, taking 30 seconds on every line change, just sauntering up the ice after an icing.

Referee "B" is reluctant to get in around the net (that's what it looks like when I watch him), is sloppy with his signals, and does just enough to get by.

I hate the "just get by" crowd. I don't want to hang around them too long, because they might be contagious.

Here's how it goes:

• nearly 100% say they want to get better
• only 50% will do something if it involves work, the other 50% want it for free and handed to them on a silver platter
• only half of the 50% who do something, will do something truly extraordinary (so we are in the top 25th percentile now
• only 5% will always do what is necessary, have the intestinal fortitude, and the "stones" to make themselves truly exceptional

Those who sit by and wait, ponder, "chew things over," or use excuses like lack of time, are those who are NOT in the 5% club. True champions take action, do it now, don't wait for someone to do it for them, and step up to the plate.

I am looking for someone to take action. I have a few spots left for those who want some really intense personal training. These people will get:

** Physical Training, on and off the ice, which will grow your stamina, strength, cardiorespiratory endurance, speed, balance, agility, accuracy, and flexibility.

** Personal Assessment Profile -- Individualized training to help identify mental roadblocks and remove them permanently, so you can perform like a true champion.

** Communication Skill Training - Learn how to use the correct words, communication styles, and how to diffuse situations as if you are a 15 year official, who has had the experience of working 5 years of minor pro hockey and refereed a world championship in front of 19,000 screaming fans!

Please reply if interested. Only few spots remaining. I am opening this up to all officials.

ejmo02@msn.com

Thanks,

JB Olson

Does Data Make a Difference?

There are a few things that keep me awake at nights (in no particular order):

i. Will my daughter ever learn to potty train?
ii. Will she learn to skate before she learns to poop in the toilet?
iii. Will I fulfill my work quota for the week?
iv. What in the hell is my option/consequence if I don't?
v. What's the best way to turn a inexperienced ref into a seasoned vet?

Outside of giving the official 10 more years to officiate, learn new subtleties and tricks, there has been no answer given. Throughout all my years of teaching, training athletes, and even renting to tenants in rental properties, I have learned one fact -- COMMON SENSE IS RELATIVE.

What seems natural to me is only because I have experienced it, been taught it, or even had it smack over my head like a 2X4.

What seems natural to you is based on your own experience.

What seems natural to John Doe is based upon his experience.

None of us have had the same experiences. However, I want to give all the referees I work with my experience. And so do all the other referee instructors out there. That's what education is, isn't it? The transfer of knowledge?

So, I am on a personal quest to gather as much data on refereeing as possible. I need some videos, though. I need to chart movements, work to rest ratios, skating patterns, starts and stops, turns, backwards...I need to chart it all in order to create a program where the up-and-coming official can receive experience like it has been bottle up and poured out when you need it.

Do you have a video tape, DVD that I can watch, critique, chart, and then return? If so, please contact me:

jbolson@ultimateofficials.com

Who is Teddy Olson and Why am I writing about him?

Let's flashback to the fall of 1995 -- I was a young, hungry official, wanting more than anything the chance to work my way up the "hockey ladder".

Let's point out two key things here:

1) wanting more than anything -- this means I was focused on hockey, hockey, hockey (and finishing up college). I wanted to be the best I could be in officiating. I wanted to ultimately be a college official. That was my choice. I was determined to take a path that would ultimately lead to being a college official.

2) "work my way up the..." -- this means I was willing to work. I was willing to do whatever it took. I was willing to drive from Timbuktu and back to get me on the path to ultimately being a college official.

It was during that fall that I was given the opportunity to work an STP tournament in New Hope, MN. Who cares what STP was/is (it was a USA Hockey Satellite Training Program for bantams). Who cares where New Hope, MN was/is (it was a 4 hour ride from where I lived). I just knew it was an opportunity to be amongst some "sneezers."

Another side note: "Sneezers" This is a term I got from marketing expert, Seth Godin. I stole the following striaght from a wikipedia.org definition:

There are two types of sneezers: the promiscuous sneezers and the powerful sneezers.

The promiscuous can be motivated by money and rewards to sell ideas to a hive.

The powerful sneezers are typically those who have established authority by setting a trend and cannot be bought. A powerful sneezer can be worth many more times a promiscuous sneezer.

The sneezer in this case was Teddy Olson. He was the supervisor of Jr. B. hockey, the MJHA at the time. I wanted to work as much Jr. hockey as possible. I was willing to drive from Bemidji to Minot, ND, to Minneapolis/St. Paul and back. And working the STP tournament gave me the chance to do that.

LONG STORY --> SHORT: I impressed Teddy Olson enough that he had me work a ton of Jr. B. games that season, and dramatically helped me on the path to being a college official.

Better yet!! ---> I became part of a "brotherhood of officials" that was truly special. There were some fantastic guys that Teddy Olson got together and mentored, and supervised, and kicked butt, and encouraged, and became like a father-figure to. Among the guys who were part of that brotherhood included guys who have reffed in the NHL, WCHA, AHL, ECHL, World Sr. and Jr. Championships, many USA Hockey national championships, many MSHSL State Tournaments.

It was a brotherhood. It was a group that pushed each other. It was something that has been missing around here. Until now...

I vow to create a new brotherhood, much like Teddy Olson created in 1995-96 season and beyond.

ARE YOU INTERESTED???

The Dave Pelz of Officiating

I'm the Dave Pelz of Hockey Officiating
(I guess you could call it my "Mission Statement")

"My life is helping referees get bigger and better games.

Get better games, that's what it is all about.

Doesn't matter what level you work, what league you work, if you are IMPROVING, if you getter better and more exciting games at your level, if you are getting better and you are looking forward to having the best hockey season of your life...that's where the fun is in hockey, that's where the enjoyment is.

So, my life, right now, is devoted to research, testing, finding out how to teach people, how to help them learn to improve."

Who's Dave Pelz?? (watch this [video]):

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

Welcome to Ref 2.0

Somebody out there called the internet today "Web 2.0" Here is the definition according to wikipedia.com:

Web 2.0 is a term describing the trend in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users. These concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities and hosted services, such as social-networking sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies. The term became notable after the first O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004.[2] [3] Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web, it does not refer to an update to any technical specifications, but to changes in the ways software developers and end-users use the Web.

Isn't it about time there was a site for "creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users"???

The time is now and this is the place. Here are the goals for the Ultimate Officials website:

1. Train and develop hockey officials on improving their mental skills through:

• increased problem solving
• identifying mental blocks that are present and blocking success
• removing those mental blocks permanently
• increasing courage levels for increased decision-making ability
• referee-specific training, which is now the most comprehensive workout plan that is the most specific for referees
• increased ability to function under stress
• increased persuasion and influence skills
• personalized mentoring and personal training
• unlimited Q/A for members
• game and skating evlauations

2. Provide a mentoring program that is individualized, personal in nature, and start of the art, utilizing the best components of the internet available through:

• access to program resource networks
• how to best position yourself for success
• how to navigate the politics of officiating
• how to open doors that have remained closed

3. Operate as a non-profit status in order to provide leadership training, character development, and social skill improvements for officials, school-aged children, and public school teachers. Ultimate Officials has an application for non-profit status that will be fully operational in (6) weeks. There is already a charitable foundation in place with the Zebra Foundation, which has been established to support cancer patients and their families through donations to registered charities.

We are now recruiting members for our team. We are seeking strategic business partners, those who can help spread the word of http://www.ultimateofficials.com/. There is an affiliate side of this program that will make money for those who help promote the website. These people can come from any walk of life in the officiating (and non-officiating world).

There are other organizations out there that ask for dues (every single association I belong to asks for dues, except for the WCHA), and I pay those dues without question, because I know they support the infrastructure of these organizations.

I don't get paid in return for paying dues...now you can (except we don't call them dues)!

Go to: The World's Worst Sales Pitch to Learn More ^^^^^^^^^^CLICK HERE------------ ^^^^^

Thank you for helping to make this site a success!

Sincerely,

J.B. Olson