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4 types of mentors you need as referee

The new season has started. Have you ever thought about how you want to grow as referee? It’s good to have a mentor who helps you. Actually you need more than one. Read more about the 4 types of mentors you need as referee.

Board with word mentor.

Kim Kaupe brought me on Inc.com on the idea for writing this post. She focussed on mentors young entrepreneurs need. I’ve used her 4 types and projected them on the career of a referee.

Because yes, you really need people that help you when you’re stuck in your refereeing career. Some can give tips on refereeing, others can help you with personal struggles. Check out the 4 types of mentors you need as a referee.

Knows you personally and as referee

It’s not just refereeing problems you’ll face as a referee. A mentor who knows you personally and knows your refereeing career is important. You can discuss personal issues with him or her. That’s because that mentor knows how much effort you put into refereeing.

A great example that I could think of is Howard Webb’s dad. If you’ve seen the movie Kill the referee, you can see Webb’s dad visit him during the World Cup.

Knows you only personally

You need someone who knows you as a person, but doesn’t know much about your refereeing. Kaupe describes it as “someone who will slap you in the face”. A peson who is “a good sounding board for your weaknesses”.

Think about someone who knows you tend to cancel your work-outs, because you’re a bit lazy. That kind of mentor will tell you that you should go out running if you want to reach your goals. He is not afraid to say you’ve been week if he hears you sat on the bench watching tv series instead of training.

Doesn’t know you or has seen you officiating

You need someone who can ask you about your goals and then tell you what you need to do for that. They care about building the bigger picture. They’re seeing the possibilities and helping them come to pass through someone else’s life.

A mentor who’s looking at the bigger picture doesn’t say what you did wrong on the pitch for example. He’s looking for the WHY. There needs to be a reason why you make wrong calls or why you don’t get that promotion. If you together find out the WHY, then you can work on solving the problem.

Only knows you as a referee

A person who only knows you as a referee is not worried about hurting your feelings. Sometimes you need a fresh look at your performance as a referee. This mentor will give you an honest opinion.

And whatever mentor you work with, one of the most important things is that you are willing to be mentored. You must be open for tips and sometimes for some criticism. That will make you a better referee.

Do you have a mentor? Write down the names of people who could be good mentors for you and get in touch with them.

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