Alan, what is the biggest challenge for a referee during a game of basketball?
Alan: Keeping concentration for 40 minutes, and that’s why it’s essential that referees are in good physical condition – healthy body, healthy mind. Fatigue is the enemy of everybody. Once you get tired, decision-making starts to decline. That’s why it’s so important that referees are in great physical shape because to me, sound body means sound mind. Concentration is the biggest thing. Also, managing people. Game management. Jeff: What about the challenge of maintaining your cool in a heated situation? How do you do it when a coach is getting on you, or a player is complaining? Alan: I think it’s down to the individual personality. Referees need people skills. I say, ‘You cannot control the outside until you are in control of the inside’. When you have a coach, or a player, in your face, you can never allow that to get to you because if you get emotional, that’s when the fireworks start. Jeff: You have some important clinics coming up, in Mannheim, Germany, this week and then in Las P
