In the tennis officiating world there is nothing more exciting than being a NEWBIE OFFICIAL or having the privilege of being around one. Their excitement and exuberance is contagious but then their personalities and quirks are sometimes frustrating. Sometimes we can turn to the animal kingdom for advice on how to raise our young...(This post is dedicated to a newbie official in Oklahoma whose name I will not publicly reveal. However, here are some hints: he's only been officiating for approximately 2 years, he doesn't require Jesus to have a last name before giving a code. This newbie official is making great progress and informed me yesterday that he is now a SO (seasoned official). Time will tell...)
Sometimes the newbies are so young they need our care and protection.
Sometimes they just need an older official to stand over them and protect them.
Sometimes they come in bunches--and they all suck.
Sometimes the bunches can grow into snappers and biters. Just imagine how they do at their first ZAT tournament...
A few newbies grow into howlers. They howl about everything that happens in their life like they are the first ones it has ever happened to.
Some just stay close to the older ones for comfort and strength. Its also easier to blame it on the old one if something goes wrong.
And they all need to be protected from old officials like this one!
4 comments:
That last one looks like one mean lesbian.
Good job. Nicely done.
ha, I am going to test my thought, your post give me some good ideas, it's really awesome, thanks.
- Thomas
So glad you said "raising" a new official vs "rearing" a new official, which I hear happens occasionally on the pro circuit.
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