CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE 2012

Welcome to the New Year and a New Season. I trust that the Holiday Season gave you a chance to spend quality time with friends and family alike. If you are like me, the holidays are a time of reflection of what has been and what is to come. As I look back on the past year, I see the NCOA South Football Association in good health. It is in this state because of a group of men who dedicated themselves through time and energy over the past few years. They have taken it upon themselves to improve areas of deficiency, maintain what is solid, and try new, exciting ideas. They did this with one purpose in mind: to make our association the best, not only in football, but in all sports. I am honored that you have given me the opportunity to continue the legacy left by these individuals. Please be assured that I look forward to working with the board to pursue a goal of excellence for our association. But also understand that it is not the responsibility of just the board to keep us on the right path. Each member of our association has a duty not only to himself, or his crew, but to the entire association to be the best possible official.

With this in mind I was reading the Football Officials Manual the other day and I came across something that I have read many times. There is a line in the Basic Philosophies and Principles section that states that, 'there is no magic like being in a good position to make the call.' While that is an outstanding tenet for our lives on the field, I believe it has applications for other aspects of our officiating. Let me explain.

Be in a good position to help yourself:

• Get yourself in the best possible physical shape you can. The kids are bigger, stronger, and faster than ever. It is our duty to prepare physically so that we are able to give our best effort. Do not wait until August, start now! Even a small bit of conditioning now will bring benefits in the fall.
• Mentally prepare for the upcoming season. As with physical conditioning, do not wait until you are a few days from the test to crack open the rule book. Spend some time in the days, weeks, and months that lead up to the season by reading and testing yourself on your rules knowledge. As little as an hour a week now can pay off on a Friday night in October.

Be in a good position to help your crew:

• Put yourself in the role of the crew member who challenges the entire crew to be better. Offer to host a meeting of your crew to talk football. Invite other crews or free agents to participate. You might start on one topic and rapidly cover a lot of ground over a short period of time. These sessions may raise more questions than they answer, but you are talking the game, and that is always good.
• Be the crew member who offers to prepare a pre-game. This shouldn't always fall to the white hat. Spread this responsibility so each crew member is included in game preparation.
• Be the crew member who comes prepared when it comes to uniform. Always bring an extra—whatever! There is nothing worse than finding out that the game is about to begin and someone isn't equipped properly.

Be in a good position to help your association:

• Come to meetings, training sessions and all other association functions with a positive attitude. Attend these gatherings with the goal of positive participation. This does not mean you have to smile at things you don't agree with, but give the association and your fellow members the respect they deserve. Be attentive, listen, and express your ideas at the appropriate time.
• Offer your assistance by volunteering to help. Step up and offer to teach at one of the training sessions. If you are more a behind the scenes type, let leadership know of your willingness to help, there is always something that needs doing.
• Be willing to mentor a new official. Rookies only become solid veterans with the help of those who have been there and done that. Spend time to take a new official under you wing and show them what it takes to be successful by being a positive role model.
• Present yourself to the players, coaches, and fans as a professional by your appearance, actions and words. Let the world know by your presence that you are a neutral arbiter of the game. Stay calm while others get emotional. Be the person on the field that brings the focus back to the game.

As with being in a good position on the field, there is no guarantee of a correct call once you are there. However, you have improved your chances quite a bit. By working on the above mentioned points I believe we improve our chances to be outstanding officials, crews, and an association.

Please feel free to call me or any of the board members regarding any concerns or issues. It is our duty to listen and work together to arrive at an equitable solution.

Dan Bourcier,
Chairman 2012