Refereeing Derby and Myself

This Saturday will be my first bout towards my efforts to learn to, and become, a derby referee. I'm as excited and nervous about Saturday as I was the first time I lined up in a bout as a jammer. I've already been warned that at first the game will appear as a blur. Will I see what I'm suppose to see? If I see it, will anything come out of my mouth when I try to make a call? Will I remember the hand signals? In preparation I've been pouring over the rules, doing training flashcards to practice the calls and signals, and watching videos of bouts. However, experience on the track will be a whole other deal.

 

Source

Book'er, one of the head refs, gave me a great piece of advice:

I think one of the most important things to mention is that we are there to watch the bout and ensure that it is safe and fair.  It's easier to assess actions/impact if you are watching the whole game instead of focusing on 'spot the penalty'. 

As someone who can get tunnel vision from time to time, this tip to look at the big picture is one that I took to heart - and not just for derby.

This morning I was doing my Bodyrock workout and I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My eyes immediately locked in on the extra 'junk' around my abs. I started feeling critical and self-conscious. I had 'spotted the penalty', mentally given myself a 'major' and sent myself to the box.

Watch the whole game...be fair... said the little voice. Why was I honed in on the 'negative'? What about the fact that I was on my 10th consecutive day of working out? What about the fact that this was a bloody tough workout and I was getting through it? What about the fact that I was feeling stronger? So, I made myself stop judging and let myself out of the box. Aside from my own dissatisfaction, what about the extra 10 pounds? It's not a health hazard and I don't intend to just let myself go, so right now I'm making the call of 'no impact/no penalty'.

"Jam is on"!