9/28/15 – As a new official I walked into the locker room for a game and found out I was working with a two-time state finals ref. After a good pregame, I was confident that he would be able to get us out of any trouble that happened during the game. There were two important plays that were in between us that I let go, because I thought that he should make “the big calls.” It turns out I had much better looks at both plays and should have gotten them. I was hurting the crew because I did not cover my area or help out when my partner needed me. If you find yourself as the more experienced partner, let your partners know that you need them to cover their area and call their game. They should be comfortable and confident to make the big calls.
