The IrREFutable Magazine 6 Oct 2021

AN OFFICIALS PERSPECTIVE October 2021

There

isn’t one road down this referee journey. The only way to embark on this crusade is to embrace the landmines and potholes.

You are guaranteed to encounter countless hiccups that will force you into hands over face shoulder bopping cry.

The IrREFutable Magazine was designed with those stories in mind. We wanted raw referee stories, human stories beyond the playing field. Our goal is to highlight officials aligned with our core values: empathy, compassion, an entrepreneurial spirit, and the freedom to create something that can impact other people’s lives. Each of these stories speaks to our faith in the future, and I’m excited to share them with you. Please keep your eyes on The IrREFutable Magazine in the coming year for other signs of resilience and renewal because whatever changes 2021 may hold, one thing remains constant, our dedication to this field we share.

Sleepy

“You either walk inside your story and own it, or you stand outside and hustle for your worthiness.”

-Brené Brown

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On the Cover

October 2021

What’s inside

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Loss in London

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Balance and Separation An interview with Dr. Ajaya L Williams

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Follow us on Instagram @theirrefutablemag

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The Hope Experiment

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National Hispanic Heritage Month

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Off The Grid

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32

Motion Sickness

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36

How Do You Show Up?

Follow us on Instagram @theirrefutablemag

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Comics & More Comics Also on pages 14, 15,30,31

Tony Brown Please click on the link below to read Tony’s story and Join the fight against pancreatic cancer in support of Tony Brown. https://www.nbra.net/tonys-fight/

DONATE TODAY

Issue 6

2021 Staff

Kevin Sparrrock

Art Director

Kevin Sparrock

Photography & Illustrations Editorial Contribution Asha P. Sparrock

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Basketball Rules in One WITH AL BATTISTA

35

A Poem

This publication took a lot of time and effort to put together so please respect it! Nothing in this publication can be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the editorial team.

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All subscribers and only members receive the magazine as a result of the paid subscription. $9.99 per month. By Still Brooklyn LLC, PO BOX 141934, Coral Gables FL 33114-1934 United States.

Still Brooklyn LLC all rights reserved.

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e c n a l a B in

Sepa ration Maintaining a unique kind of relationship

By Asha Pearl Sparrock We often neglect to address the support systems in different types of families. I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Ajaya Williams-Sparrock: athletic training professor for Florida International University and athletic training alumni of Columbia University.

No stranger to athletics, Dr. Williams-Sparrock shares her take on how to balance the highs and lows of being away from a partner. Her marriage with her husband, Kevin Sparrock: Division 1 and professional basketball official, explains acts of self-love and love languages in an age where communication is readily available but not always satisfactory.

How often does your husband travel now?

The least right now, because of Covid, once a week. But outside of Covid, it would have been at least twice a week. Sometimes three times a week without returning home.

Do you end up traveling with him often?

It depends. When we first were dating, not as much because I was conflicted with my schedule. Once [he] and I got married, I was in the academics setting. Funny enough, I didn’t travel as much because I was trying to get situated in my job. But when I could, I would. Right before we moved, I would say that in those previous two years, I did a lot of traveling if I could, even if it was local in the tri-state. Or even further.

And then, during the WNBA season, I would try to at least get to 2, maybe 3, games during the summer.

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9 Image By Kevin Sparrock

When you do end up traveling with him, is it more of a vacation? Or rather, does it feel like you’re bringing your home on the road?

I would say it’s a combination. There was a stretch where [he] was going to be away.

In our minds, if he’s going to be away for almost close to two weeks, then we try to figure out how we close that gap as best as possible. If it’s like a week, it’s fine. But if it’s two weeks, we consciously try to figure out, “How can I travel?” Depending on the trip, if it’s a city I have not been to, we’ll try to make it more of a vacation. But if it’s usually a city that I’ve been to, we’ll probably be there for the time that he’s in town and we’re leaving. Not too many cities that he travels to, I haven’t. So we decide if this is going to be more of a vacation or not. It also depends on whether he has games back to back and whether we can extend that time.

What are some of the struggles you face having him away?

To be very honest, the first two days, I’m fine. I do believe that separation is okay.

People are like, “Awh, are you sad?” Like, yeah, I’m sad to see my husband go, but I actually do enjoy alone time. But once the alone time starts to get to like three, four, and five days, then it starts being like, “Oh, I’m eating dinner by myself. Oh, I’m watching tv or something.” So that can start to get tough. This person is not going to be there for almost a week or more, then that gets lonely. But I can say in the first few days; I am okay. I love sleeping in the bed by myself. I’m particular with stuff, so not having to wash extra dishes or pick up stuff. But after a while, it’s weird that I start to miss it.

So I would say those are the challenging parts. And then, thank God for technology.

But it’s not always the same. Depending on what time zone he’s in, it impacts. Especially if [he] is on the west coast trying to balance our timing in regards to “Am I up earlier than he would be up.” Especially if it’s early in the morning west coast time, or, “Is it getting late and I wanna go to sleep?” If there’s a game at 10 pm pacific time, it’s not ending until 12 am, 1 am, or 2 am, my time. So, I want to wait up and say goodnight, but sometimes I’m saying goodnight before he goes to the game.

You mention something about technology. What’s your main way to keep in contact with him while he’s away?

It depends. If we can at least get FaceTime in once a day, we’ll still contact each other throughout the day: Even if it’s a quick text in the morning. To be honest, especially when you’re having a deep conversation, it’s different when you can see the other person and talk to them about it.

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When you’re with a referee, you live two separate lives and then the same life sometimes.

I’ll also watch his games. So, obviously, he can’t check his phone during the game.

But he likes that I’ll watch it and leave him texts asking how he felt about certain plays. He likes getting those messages at the end of the game because he’ll go back and watch the tape and consider my thoughts on it.

Because you’re able to watch him on tv, you can watch him working in real-time.

That’s very cool. So, shifting gears a little: How has the pandemic impacted your thoughts on both his and your travel?

Last summer was very stressful—the social injustice alongside Covid-19. I’m thinking of two different types of safety: Where he was initially placed for the WNBA was still in Florida, which is not the most liberal area. That was my main concern even though he would be within the “bubble.” And then not knowing, with all these new protocols, if people were quarantining correctly or if the testing was consistent. Obviously, at the time, there were no vaccinations. And even upon returning, my husband still drove up from Miami while there was a lot of stuff going on at the time, and then driving back – there was just a lot of uncertainty and anxiety surrounding that.

Though my husband is an official in the NCAA, he is individually contracted by various conferences. He has a split profession within refereeing. The NBA has its protocols, while the NCAA was still trying to figure things out. The NCAA kind of reminds me of The States. Each conference has a different ruling in regards to how they handle Covid-19. And every conference had a different policy on how they wanted to handle Covid-19. So that was a new level of stress. He was getting out of his comfort zone and into, essentially a circus, and still trying to do his job and keep himself and others safe. In a way, it was Russian roulette with both of our jobs. I was going back on campus, and he was traveling to different areas, and we were always unsure if we were exposing each other.

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During the busy season, do you plan around his departures and arrivals?

I can honestly say those can be the most stressful times. I’m the type of person that can stay at work until 9 pm. Sometimes not necessarily being very productive, but more times than not, I’ll catch my second wind later on in the day. Respectfully, when you’re with a referee, you live two separate lives and then the same life sometimes.

When we are apart, we live two different lives in a way. When he comes back, it’s kind of like a “check-in.” We’re trying to normalize our lives together again. Suppose he’s traveling a lot and I have a lot of responsibilities at work. In that case, there has to be some intentionality in checking back into your expectations, like, knowing when to cut off a certain time at work or making it home to have dinner together.

It almost reminds me of President Obama’s book when he talks about knowing his responsibilities in the office and still obligating himself to the expectations of his wife to be home for dinner. Even if he went home for dinner and then returned to the office to work, he at least made it home for dinner.

We have begun to be better at being intentional. We share all of our calendars so that we at least have an idea of what the other person’s schedule may look like. And, of course, trying to be respectful of each other’s time as best we can, because we live that type of life where we’re back and forth.

I can see how that can be challenging to move a certain way separately and then sort of come together again.

We like to call it the check-in. At the beginning of our relationship, we realized that there would be friction, especially once we moved in together, and we couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. So we realized certain expectations that we both sort of laxed on while the other was away or not around. So that’s why we have the check-in to easing us back into normalcy.

There were also the expectations I had of him. After a trip, he realized he would need a day to get his energy back after giving it to so many different people. So I’d have to wait a moment before that “Honey Do List,” ya’ know? But on the other hand, when he is home for a while, and I’m transitioning back into the back, and forth of going on campus, I don’t want to be rushed to have dinner when I get home. I need a few moments to sort of come down from work before coming together.

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What’s the longest amount of time that you two have spent apart?

About two weeks. He had back-to-back games, and it wouldn’t make sense for him to fly home and fly back out. But, we realized that was our limit.

Is that including the bubble?

Oh no! That was different. But yeah, I guess it would be that instead, haha! That was hard because it was 45 days of him looking at the same room and people in a particularly hostile environment. It wasn’t violent or anything, but he likes simple things like going to the beach or the balcony. So, that was tough on both of us, but particularly him.

Does distance really make the heart grow fonder?

I believe so. For me, definitely. I hope we don’t come at each other’s throats when we retire because we’re so used to this lifestyle. I believe, though, that it’s okay for people to go away, whether it’s to reevaluate some things or see things from a different perspective. We also just like hanging out with each other. So, it’s nice to think about all the things you guys can do once the person comes home.

Be better at being intentional

13 Image By Kevin Sparrock

THECLEANWHISTLE.COM

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A CLEAN WHISTLE IS A HAPPY WHISTLE!

GO TO NEATTUCKS.COM TO GET YOUR PAIR!

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National

HISPANIC Heritage Month September 15th-October 15th As we reflect on the past half decade and all the political turmoil encompassed with it, often the needs of smaller unrepresented demographics fall by the waist side. In 2021, it’s strange to believe that we continue to have “firsts” of anything. Yet, we are taken aback by the lack of representation and opportunity given to those of hispanic heritage.

Though the term “hispanic” is rooted in controversy, it’s important to remember what exactly we intend to celebrate and highlight. Those of Spanish speaking countries have many rich and expansive cultures that make each of them unique and stand out on their own.

We salute and give our deepest gratitude to those who continue to fight to be the “first” in their field and pave the road for generations to come.

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17 Art By Kevin Sparrock

The Hope Experiment!

By Kevin Sparrock

The one joy of being a basketball referee is talking about my profession. I found people love to hear the stories that occur between the lines. “How do you take the abuse?” is a popular question asked when I meet people and tell them that I referee college and professional basketball.

For those who officiate sports, we know we build a thick skin to the abuse. Nothing can ever prepare you for that tidal wave.

I fell in love with the rules and the mechanics—that need to be perfect in an imperfect profession.

At times the abuse feels like being strapped to a table with a sink faucet continuously dropping a small drop of water on your forehead. At first, you barely feel the water, but after hours of taping, you lose patience, and it puts you in a window of irritation.

So how do we deal with that constant irritant?

In 1950, Curt Richter, a Harvard scientist with John Hopkins University, did an experiment that tested the outcome of hope. Richter placed rats into a bucket of water and timed how long they could swim. Rats are known as good swimmers; they last 15 minutes before sinking and sometimes drowning. Before the rats drowned, Richter pulled the rats out of the water, dried them off, gave them a brief rest, and put them back into the water-filled bucket. This time the rats swam an average of 60 hours.

As an artist and a referee, I reflect on what has made me push forward through my professional career. Talent plays a part—my ability to adapt matters. My intentional fortitude matters, but the one thing that has me push forward is an encouraging community. It might be my wife, kids, friends, or mother and father who said a brief word or act of encouragement that has pushed me one inch further. Something as simple as, ‘You can do this. ‘You are worthy of this prize. take one more step.’ Or ‘You got this.

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I remember missing an obvious block charge play in a game, and the entire gym came down on me. Both coaches, players, benches, and the fans erupted into a frenzy. I wanted to grab my shirt and pull it over my head. It felt like a weight pulling me under the water surface. I didn’t need a mentor to tell me I was wrong on the play.

What I needed was that community to lean on. The best cure for a bad day is the next day and an encouraging friend.

As the new season approaches, I pray we all have that community that helps us on this journey. If not, let me be the first person to let you know you have this.

Press forward.

The one thing that has me push forward is an encouraging community 19 Art By Kevin Sparrock

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COMICS FROM FOULSANDVIOLATIONS.NET

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Loss in London

By Michael Diamond-Hunter Summer is officially over here in the UK. As someone from the US can attest, Summer felt like it was officially over (for the most part) around the end of Wimbledon, but here in the UK, I’ll take what I can get. Days here are crisp and bracing; perfect weather for Fall. The best way to describe it is like a September day in the San Francisco Bay Area – cool breezes, mostly clear skies, and just the time of year when people can start to bring out their jackets, boots, and other gear that has been storing away since springtime. Here, there is an increasing sense of a return to normalcy (or, at the very least, a pre-2020 life), even though future challenges remain.

Basketball season has begun again here in the UK, and all levels are playing. There’s been a lot of work done to get things going, most notably the work by health care professionals and everyday people to get vaccinated. There is no way a season could be happening in the scope without everyone doing their part to help out. There is palpable excitement for the current season, and lots of players, coaches, and parents are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to do something around basketball. It’s a great feeling and is a welcome respite for those of us who are weary by the long grind of dealing with the pandemic. As much as I would have liked to join in at the beginning of the season, I can’t fathom doing any games again until January 2022. It seems a bit odd, doesn’t it, that someone who gets so much pleasure and joy from refereeing not to pick right up when the chance arises. What happened?

This summer has been an incredibly difficult one for me and one where my priorities were clearly reorganized and values that I hold outside of basketball were reemphasized. My partner was pregnant with our twins but had a difficult pregnancy. The things that she experienced were at times unconscionably poor at the first hospital that we attended (she was gaslit often, and her concerns and questions were often ignored). My partner had haemorrhaging events on average once every 3 days from the 12-week to the 16-week scan, and my focus shifted from anything having to do with basketball (or other superfluous/secondary concerns) to her.

From the 16-week scan, my partner had haemorrhaging events about once a week – but they were heavier. This included one

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23 Art By Kevin Sparrock

during a planned vacation that we had in a rural part of the country. The thing with all of these is that the bleeding would stop, and so we both thought that this is just what we’re going to be used to until the twins were born. Right before the 20-week scan, my partner had another event. Unfortunately, this one was very heavy, and it never stopped. Within 24 hours, we had to decide to have her undergo a C-section to save her life. This also meant that the twins would cease developing, as they were not viable. Since that day, I have been dealing with the grief and heartache of not seeing my twins delivered, along with the relief that my partner is still alive after a very harrowing experience. I want to discuss this with you all because (A) it is important for everyone to know that there are stories where basketball (no matter how important it may seem) is correctly relegated to the sidelines; and (B) because I wholeheartedly believe that as men, we can be vulnerable and open with the difficult things that show up in our lives. Given all of what happened, I am now just feeling like picking things back up for basketball – but not before going through grief counseling with my partner, taking time to reflect, and most importantly, giving myself space to grieve. I hope all of you (especially men) realize when it is time to step away from basketball to deal with things directly in front of you.

I am now just starting to get back into physical shape and am rededicating myself to getting back to where I want to be. This is only possible through the love and care of my support networks, mentors, friends, family, and my partner. I know that this experience – one of sorrow and deflation over something that will never ever be fixed and which will stay with me forever – has shaped me in ways that I could not have imagined. Nevertheless, I do not do this alone, and as we all know from refereeing, there are times when it is important to lean on your crew. As I begin to retake small steps, I am excited to bring you along my healing journey and recuperation. To all who have experienced loss over this past couple of years, please know that you are seen and heard. I implore you to continue doing the things that help you heal and remember that you are not alone. As my journey continues – regretfully, without my twins being in the world – I sincerely hope that you will find bits of solace and resonation in the things that I write in the future.

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All The Basketball Rules in One WITH AL BATTISTA

NCAA MEN’S EDITION T

F

1. A1 drives to the basket, B3 the secondary defender gets to the RA and establishes his initial position. The Lead Official rules a player control foul, the center official rules a blocking foul. This shall be ruled a double foul. T-F

T

F

2. B1 who is a secondary defender is located in the RA. A1 drives to the basket and B1 who remains on the floor in a vertical position contests the play. There is sufficient contact on the play. The Lead Official rules a blocking foul on B1. T-F

T

F

3. Where will the ball be put in play after an administrative technical foul in the back court on the defensive team.

T

F

4. Where will the ball be put in play after a Class B technical foul on the defensive team in the front court.

T

F

5. Where will a Class A dead ball technical foul on the defense be put into play when the ball is in a team’s front court.

NCAA WOMEN’S EDITION T

F

1. The following are legal: A. A solid 2 inch-wide interrupted line: 4 inches long, 2 inch break, 4 inches long, 2 inch break, etc.

B. A center restraining circle that has a 2 inch wide shadow bordered line.

C. A center restraining circle that has a 1/4 inch wide solid line.

D. All of the Above

T

F

2. B1 jumps in front of dribbler A1. B1 gets both feet down inbounds and is facing A1, but does not give A1 any time or distance to stop, the primary coverage area official rules B1’s position is legal. T-F

T

F

3. A player may dribble a second time if the first dribble ended with loss of control due to a pass that has touched another player. T-F

T

F

4. A1 is driving to the basket and is intentionally fouled by B1. A1 is injured on the play. Any player on Team A may attempt the free throws. T-F

T

F

5. May a team reduce the length of a time out.

NFHS EDITION T

F

1. A1 drives to the basket, B3 the secondary defender gets to the RA and establishes his initial position. The Lead Official rules a player control foul, the center official rules a blocking foul. This shall be ruled a double foul. T-F

T

F

2. B1 who is a secondary defender is located in the RA. A1 drives to the basket and B1 who remains on the floor in a vertical position contests the play. There is sufficient contact on the play. The Lead Official rules a blocking foul on B1. T-F

T

F

3. Where will the ball be put in play after an administrative technical foul in the back court on the defensive team.

T

F

4. Where will the ball be put in play after a Class B technical foul on the defensive team in the front court.

T

F

5. Where will a Class A dead ball technical foul on the defense be put into play when the ball is in a team’s front court.

ANSWERS ON PAGE 39

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Off Th Thee Grid

By Kevin Sparrock Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, part of Massachusetts’ Cape Cod Islands, is one of several historic African American summer resort communities ten miles off the Atlantic seaboard founded in the 1890s. The” Inkwell” or Town Beach in Oak Bluffs is the name of the popular beach frequented by African Americans beginning in the late nineteenth century. The beach was named “The Inkwell” by nearby whites in reference to the skin color of the beachgoers. This hateful nickname was transformed into an emblem of pride amongst African American beachgoers. My early memories were from some of my Brooklyn family members. It wasn’t until I saw the film the Inkwell where I caught my first glimpse of this African American oasis.

The Inkwell was a vacation my wife and I began saving for a year in advance. We flew into Boston then drove down to the ferry that transports you over to the island.

The day was a clear, humid 90-degree day. Compared to Boston, the island felt like another planet. It was peaceful and serene. I finally had an opportunity to sit on a lawn chair, crack open a book and read. I was able to relax, put my feet on the beach and watch wave after wave: no loud music or wild parties.

Two days into my trip, I realized my phone had not rung. My phone had no bars. I also discovered that the internet signal in the house was spotty. When I had to make a call, my only option was to use FaceTime audio. I had the opportunity to make a call when I headed downtown near the ferry to make a beer run. The beer seemed more important at the time. By day four of the trip, I stopped looking for a signal. I was content being off the grid. This was a first for me in many years.

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27 Image & Art By Kevin Sparrock

I started looking at how many hours I was on the road, long flights, lengthy automobile trips, and train rides.

An article written by Allinahealth.org lays out the Importance of Taking a Vacation.

Improved mental health and Increased mental motivation were the two benefits that resonated with my experience. I was feeling stressed, anxious and I could see how I was losing focus and productivity on the court. A recent study by the World Health Organization found that 745,000 people died in 2016 from heart disease and stroke because of long hours at work. Coronavirus was going to make the situation worse.

Officiating sports is not the typical 9-5 job, but I started looking at how many hours I was on the road, long flights, lengthy automobile trips, and train rides. I started looking at my unusual sleep patterns throughout the year. Going to bed at 10 pm on one day, then the next three days, I’m on the road touching the bed at 1 am only to board a 6 am flight to make it to the next city. COVID and our society’s social justice amplified added to my anxiety.

For 15 seasons, I have refereed basketball during the winter and the summer. My College and professional seasons meshed together as if they were one. I transferred my brain from college rules and professional rules seamlessly. I took so much mental effort to avoid confusing the two interpretations. Everyone in this business knows when your day job ends, and you are off to a game. When you are home with your family, you’re usually home reading a rule or looking at a game tape or sports in general.

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I made the error of making my referee travel my vacation. I would travel for a game assignment and then piggyback a short vacation on that travel. The problem with that was I was still thinking about officiating. I needed that vacation away from everything.

Maybe I have been so busy or pretended to be so busy for many years that I forgot what it felt like to pause my life. I journaled, read a book (The Power of Positive Leadership, by Jon Gordon), and walked barefoot through the grass on my trip. The barefoot thing didn’t last long. I’m still a city kid. Ten steps in, and I was smarting from the blades of grass and twigs stabbing into my feet. But it was new, and it felt good.

At vacation end, my wife and I grabbed an early morning ferry before the sun came up. The pink and blue cotton candy clouds erupted in the sky. A pungent odor of salt was my coffee for the hour’s drive back to Boston Airport. I honestly forgot what it meant to be on vacation. I was focused on my work for many years, not realizing what it felt like to restart my hard drive.

When the first bar popped on my phone, I swiped to my calendar and flipped to August 2022. I selected the entire month because somewhere in that window, a vacation is happening. I titled it the ‘Reset button.’ I also added a reminder every month to start planning.

I was focused on my work for many years, not realizing what it felt like to restart my hard drive.

29 Image By Kevin Sparrock

COMICS FROM FOULSANDVIOLATIONS.NET

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A poll was taken across 3 Instagram accounts with an accumulative follow-ship of over 500.

Mask mandates differ from region to region, and we were curious to see how you felt about it.

How comfortable are you wearing masks?

IT’S NOTHING NOW!

78%

I CAN’T WAIT TO BE DONE WITH THIS!

80%

22%

How do you feel about people around you without masks?

UHMM..BACK UP!

IT IS WHAT IT IS

20%

Do you prefer masks to be mandated?

I’D LIKE THAT

75%

RATHER NOT

25%

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Traveling

MOTION SICKNESS

By Asha Pearl Sparrock

Preparation of the day ahead can often be enough to send us into the beginning of a panic attack. The thought of planning for days ahead is a daunting task alone. How do we begin? What should we plan for?

Let’s start with the basics: Preparing what you need. The essentials. It’s easy to overpack, over-prepare, and overthink. In these situations, mindfulness is an essential tool. Begin by asking yourself the following questions: Where am I going?

How long am I going for?

For a day trip, there’s much less to break down than if you were traveling for a few days. For a game, you’d need your uniform. It seems easy enough to remember. How are you traveling? By car, bring enough to stay hydrated, fed, and another change of clothes, just in case. We begin to run into roadblocks when we don’t have set itineraries and cannot plan accordingly. Mindfulness tip: Plan for what you know.

While it doesn’t always have to be another chore that we avoid until the last moments before our departure, a few tips work for each of our traveling situations.

Plan ahead Procrastination is our best friend and worst enemy. It’s Monday, and your flight doesn’t leave until Friday evening. I have all the time in the world. Your Wednesday self will worry about it. Suddenly, it’s the quickest week of all time, and Friday afternoon has you scrambling to find a uniform that’s been in the same spot for 3 months.

Nobody wants to be a last-minute mess stuffing their suitcase with a poorly packed bottle of lotion that bursts all over their clothing.

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Image By Kevin Sparrock

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Create a checklist Even if you think it’s excessive, write it down. Begin with the first few things that pop into your mind. Toothbrush. Uniform. Underwear. More underwear. When you begin planning a week before your departure, the checklist can get a little lengthy. It allows your brain to process everything you need without panic. Foot massager. Bluetooth speaker. More underwear. You can never be too prepared–within reason. This leads to the next tip.

Eliminate the unnecessary Break out the yellow legal notepad and start that pros and cons list. The BlueTooth speaker and 17 extra pairs of underwear may be a little excessive, especially if you’re headed to a game in the next town over. Are you flying somewhere far away for a few days? Maybe the foot messenger. Remember, someone has to carry those bags somewhere. While lugging three suitcases full of attire for every occasion, you may begin to think to yourself, “Now, where exactly to a plan on wearing a ball gown?”

Have anxiety-reducing regime While sometimes, this can border on obsessiveness, having a regime that works for you and allows you to complete the tasks for the day is a great benefit. You’ve followed the steps of planning, making a checklist, and making sure you need most of what you pack. Yet, there’s still a lump in your throat and butterflies in your belly.

You continue to imagine every possible bad omen that may befall you on your journey. Here comes the mindfulness police to tell you not to do that.

Breathe. Close your eyes. Meditate. Pray. Do what you need to do to get your mind to a place of being present. If that means watching an episode of an old 90s cartoon to calm you down, then so be it.

Something may always go awry. You can do everything you need to do to be prepared and still forget something important. We’re human, and that happens. Continue to be mindful. Continue to have faith in yourself. Be aware of your boundaries. Accept the things that are out of your control, and always remember to bring an extra pair of underwear.

34 Art By Kevin Sparrock

So why do I continue to be something that you wish not, Want not or whatnot.

You who perfection does not, has not been your want.

Athlete, player, coach, supervisor, fan, or foe.

Bring your toe to the water of my pond.

You dare not because you know.

Imperfect is this Your last breath will shun the errors of my stripes of black or white, gray.

But of no fault of your miss in the early frame.

You who’s last breath will never spell thy fault.

You who’s the last fault is ignored when you are invited into this profession only to place your thumb down for a gladiator’s sword of execution.

Imperfect is this profession.

You who perfection does not, has not been your want.

Only your favor.

For fairness is defined as you receiving any and everything in your favor.

Laugh out loud, I do when you say consistency.

Laugh louder when you shout the correct call is my every desire.

For imperfect is this profession.

That you know, I know.

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How Do You Show Up?

How has Covid-19 changed how you dress?

By Asha Pearl Sparrock

Grasping the concept of “referee travel attire’ in this COVID error is the new mystery.

There’s anxiety in getting ready for a game assignment and deciding whether these sweatpants and sneakers are appropriate to travel to the game site. Quite frankly, the idea of having to get dressed for anyone but yourself was a daunting task for the past 18 months of political and global turmoil.

Supervisors have always said ‘No’ to jeans and baseball caps, but there was a sense of “whatever makes you comfortable” in the atmosphere. In the COVID season, referees get granted the small luxury of “dressing down” just as long as we arrive at the game site on time and symptom-free. The theme amongst us was like the popular 80s hairstyle, the mullet: Business in the front, party in the back. If our peers deemed us appropriate from the waist up on Zoom calls, we could be in boxers and slippers from the hips down.

Those times are over. The old mandates are creeping back.

It’s game time, and you have a 7 pm start and a two-hour drive to the arena.

There’s the option of dressing in business casual attire, but how simple is business casual? Over the last ten years or more, the officiating culture has moved away from the double-breasted suit and tie, but that’s because you can jazz up a suit with a crisp pair of Chuck Taylors or white-bottomed Cole Hanns.

The other option is to dress down on the way to your game. Make sure to wear a decent pair of pants, and when you arrive, you can slip on a pair of shoes. You can then cover your tee-shirt with a coat or jacket as you enter the arena. You hope your partner keeps a tight lip.

As styles and fads change, so do the ideas of “appropriate attire.” The redesign of comfortable footwear and elastic waistbands is a plus in the new business casual attire.

A relaxed dress shirt or blouse can set the tone of your look. A tie always works, but you can always throw a sweater on if that’s not your style. We must get back to being inten-

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Image by Cottonbro on Pexels

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tional with the process. If not, we run the risk of our supervisors noticing the somewhat relaxed state of the hems of our pants and wonder, “Is that the nicest thing they own?” We often want to look our best, but other times, our mental bandwidth isn’t up for the task.

Here are three ways to help you prepare.

1. Like everything in this officiating world, plan! Like packing and preparing your uniform for the season, you should do the same for your travel attire.

2. Don’t overthink it. Make your process simple. Find two of everything. Two pairs of pants, shirts, and socks and sweaters. Keep these items ready when you travel.

3. Don’t skimp on quality or comfort. Remember, your body is your moneymaker.

You want comfortable shoes and gear that keeps you warm during the season. Look online for lightweight and heat retentive material.

Traditionally, a uniform is defined as “the distinctive clothing worn by members of the same organization or body or by children attending certain schools.” Alternatively, Urban Dictionary’s first definition of uniform is “clothing that makes you feel free of judgments based on clothing by being constricting, uncomfortable, and generally ugly.” Ideally, we want our clothing to reflect our energy or a representation of ourselves. While some flinch away from the uniformity of our travel attire, others find power in its coalition.

This past September, our social media was bombed with the onslaught of celebrities and influencers on the red carpet. We want to express ourselves in fantastical displays like the Met Gala. It makes us think of how we’d like like to be viewed. How we show up to game sites, whether it’s in an uncomfortable, unappealing uniform, our best fall fit, or coziest stretch pants, there’s always a message being communicated.

If there’s a single takeaway, it has to be this: How you feel matters before anything else. Within the guidelines of job requirements and public decency, if it makes you feel good, then it’s good. If you find yourself scratching at tags and fidgeting in starchy polyester, your performance is guaranteed to waver. If we feel like our best selves and dress like our best selves, the world has nothing left to do than see us at our best.

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ANSWERS for Basketball Rules WITH AL BATTISTA

NCAA MEN’S EDITION ANSWERS

NCAA WOMEN’S EDITION ANSWERS

NFHS EDITION ANSWERS

1. False-10.1.14 2. True-10-1.14.c, 4-17.7 3. At the point of interruption. 7-31.b, 7-3-2.c 4. At one of the four designated spots in the front court. 7-3-1.b, 7-3-2.a 5. At one of the four designated spots in the front court. 7-3-1.b, 7-3-2.a

1. D- Rule-1-4.a.b.c.

2. True- 10-4.a 3. True-9-7.1.c 4.True- 8-3.3 5. The team that requests the time out may shorten that time out when the captain/ head coach notifies the official of the team’s intent. 5-14.a.

5. True-CCA Manual- 2.5.H

1. True- Case Book-1.9.1 2. True- Basketball Rules Fundamentals(9).

3. False- 3-5-4c.

4. False- 4-36-1.

5. False-9-10-1.

You want more rules and videos? Go to MatchupOfficiating@groups.io

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