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...

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???