Welcome to a new series of articles for coaches who are hosting meets, or who find themselves assigned to an event at a meet in which their team is competing. The goal is to provide you with suggestions and ideas to make your task easier while keeping the competition safe and fair. Today's article provides a general introduction to officiating. Later articles will address the specific events of Track and Field.
SAFETY is our first and highest priority.
There is a lot of potential for injury in our sport: to athletes, spectators, coaches and officials. That's why preventative officiating is so important. As such, a lot of the tips presented will pertain to venue preparation BEFORE the competition starts, as well as what to watch for during the competition. And, as a bonus, if one takes the time (and it does take some time) to makes sure an event venue is safe, then chances are that competition will also be fair.
Officiating has a Golden Rule when it comes to FAIRNESS:
'No athlete should be allowed to gain an unfair advantage, and
No athlete should have to suffer an unfair disadvantage'
So, in addition to preparing a safe venue, the other thing an official/coach must do to make the competition FAIR is...
READ and KNOW the RULES!
The mind can play tricks, and invent new rules. So, it pays to read the pertinent rules before EVERY meet. These event-specific articles will include a review of the NFHS rules for that event.
ARTICLES: (click on each to view)
1. Officiating Tips for Coaches for Shot, Discus & Javelin
Larry Chavez is the 112th inductee into the NMAA Hall of Fame, with a career in education that spanned over 38 years. He devoted his entire career to the youth of New Mexico.....
Newell, a graduate from Highland High School and 3-time State Champion, has attended two Olympic games for team Canada.
Former New Mexico State volunteer assistant track and field coach Rachel Dincoff reached the pinnacle of her event...