July 2011 – extricate.org

Setting goals for the season

I am really looking forward to the start of the football season. In terms of my own refereeing, this will be September. I have high hopes this time around, partly spurred on by the fact that I am on the Enhanced Promotion Scheme and there is a lot to get done!

When setting goals, it is really important to make sure that they are broken down into an achievable journey. After all, while ‘Get promoted’ is a goal there are steps that need to be taken as part of that! Success doesn’t happen by itself.

What are my goals?

PRE-SEASON (August)

MATCH FITNESS: Get safely back to full match fitness with a controlled approach. Target level by the end of pre-season is several games over a weekend without being a wreck afterwards. Avoid injury.
SUPPLEMENTARY FITNESS: Keep up the training as appropriate during the week. Be ready to comfortably pass the county fitness test in September.
DIET AND NUTRITION: Get fully back on the wagon. As a result of the healthy eating and exercise, drop around 10 kilograms (This will carry forward into the season). The fat has to go!
GET BACK INTO THE GROOVE: Referee a selection of games in the run-up to the season. Should be the same level as the games I will be assessed on. Some Assistant Referee work is allowed but I must ensure that my focus is being the Referee.

THE ACTUAL SEASON

FITNESS AND NUTRITION: Maintain the standards as set in pre-season. Mid-week games will make an appearance so the physical and mental demands will be increased. Lose the rest of the 10 kilograms, certainly!
BE STUNNING: I need to shine in the games. I will be assessed on some of them, after all, although I want the same standard throughout.
BE DISCIPLINED WITH REST: I must be at full capacity for assessed games so need to ensure I am not overdoing things. Also, the schedule is tight for the enhanced promotion process and being out injured is not going to help at all!
INCREASE KNOWLEDGE & NETWORKING: Attend seminars, local referee societies and watch other referees in action when I get the opportunity. There are so many sources to learn from!
GET PROMOTED: Level 6 in October, Level 5 in March. I’m not doing this to fail!
GET SOME GREAT APPOINTMENTS: As a result of all the above, I want to be getting some great appointments. County Cup Final? Who knows? I’m already on the FA competition nominated list which is exciting. I need to give a performance during the season which makes me worthy of getting these matches!
BE A ROLE MODEL: I want to be setting a high standard for myself and others. I’m undergoing Mentor Training in September as part of this.

I’m already making great progress with the pre-season elements. I’m eating and exercising well. The games I have had so far have been very positive. There is a long journey ahead and I know I am going to enjoy it!

How are you getting on with your own goal planning?

Tips for a Timekeeper at Toastmasters

The Timekeeper is a pivotal role at any Toastmasters meeting. I’ve had the opportunity to see various Timekeepers in action over time (sorry!) as well as enjoy the role myself, be that at Farnham Speakers or elsewhere.

On paper, the role is very simple, isn’t it? Time the speeches and other activities and report accurately on the results. Oh, and cycle the timing lights as required if they are in use so that the speakers know what is going on!

However, here are a few tips to really make this role shine:

TIMING IS IMPORTANT: We all know this. Be it for business, meeting up with friends, planning our days…. the list extends to the horizon. Why is that some Timekeepers are almost apologetic when detailing their role for the benefit of those present? This is a perfect opportunity to explain why timing is so important (got a good mini-anecdote?). The Toastmaster should be stressing this as well.
EXPLAIN THE TIMING RULES: When do the lights go on and why? What are the consequences for ‘failure’? Now, the majority of people present are likely to know this inside out but a quick explanation is a good idea.
BE BOLD WHEN GIVING THE TIMING REPORT: Be confident and assertive. The report is important: Speakers could be disqualified as a result of their timings! Convey it with the sincerity that it demands.
SUMMARISE TABLE TOPICS: For Table Topics, it is a good idea to not just mention the name of each speaker: Give a very concise summary of what they spoke about. Typically this would be the topic that they were set. It is a good call-back to the session and it also helps out those who are struggling to remember a name when filling out their voting form. See, helpful!

I hope that you find these tips helpful and that you enjoy your Timekeeper role at Toastmaters! If you have any of your own in making the role your own, I would love to hear them.

Eating sensibly again: Avoiding falling off the wagon

I posted yesterday about how I want to lose 10 kilograms in weight. My motivation is to look and feel better plus the obvious health benefits. I do a lot of running and other fitness activities, and reducing the stress on my joints is very important in avoiding injury and promoting recovery.

When I looked more athletic it also promoted a good image when refereeing. A good first impression is very important. You want to LOOK like you are able to keep up with the players before you even have to demonstrate it!

I started my new regime yesterday and it was pretty simple: Just avoid eating too much! I will refine my diet to be better balanced over time.

A lot of this is avoiding temptation as there is a lot of it out there when it comes to food. I remember watching a TV programme about a body builder who used to buy chocolate all the time…. but then just put it in a kitchen cupboard as proof of his discipline. I’m not going that far but it is interesting to consciously note the foods I am avoiding.

For example, yesterday I know I avoided:

A bread roll at lunchtime.
A chocolate cheesecake pot (went for the apple instead!)
A chocolate bar during the afternoon.
‘Fatty’ crisps (I had some low-calorie ones to go with a sandwich instead).
Eating when I got back from my evening activities when I really did not need to.

All of those would certainly add up! I was not starving myself either so it became very clear to me how I have managed to put on weight recently. I was just being excessive.

This also helps in thinking ahead. For example, I know tonight I will be offered hospitality after a match I am officiating. Plenty of sandwiches which I would normally just chomp down because they are there. Perhaps with ‘full fat’ cola? By thinking about it NOW I am priming myself to be sensible.

What foods have you successfully managed to avoid recently? Do you have any weaknesses that you have succumbed to? What are your tips?

Time to lose 10 kilograms

I’ve put on some weight over recent times. Over the past few years I’ve been pretty good at exercising regularly but I lack discipline when it comes to a proper diet. I’m not liking recent photographs of me at all.

A few years back, I went through a great phase when I dropped 10 kilograms and I did this in the right way: I kept up the exercise (combination of cardio and weight training) and really monitored my nutrition. With the help of the great site Daily Burn I kept the carb/protein/fat levels in check and shed the weight over a controlled period of time.

It was a real eye opener when getting those levels in balance. I quickly realised just how I was ODing on carbs (bread!) and how hard it is to take in the recommended amount of protein. I definitely started eating my fair share in chicken breast!

Now I get to do it again. I know I will feel a lot better for it by eating properly and none of this is about starving myself.

The Ground Rules to start off with:

NO CHOCOLATE: Sorry, my dear Boost bars and Yorkies. You have to go.
NO EXCESS CARBS: Typically bread. I can really gobble up bread like there is no tomorrow. It tends to be my biggest weakness.
NO DESSERT: Mmm, cheesecake… Let’s stick to lovely fruit.
NO ‘FULL FAT’ SOFT DRINKS: I can work with Pepsi Max. Not exactly nutritious, I know, but not loaded with sugar either.
TARGET THE HEALTHIER OPTIONS: If I have a burger craving, chicken is going to be better than a fatty bit of beef, isn’t it?

Now all I need to do is get a working set of bathroom scales!

There is more to this than how I feel in myself: I don’t want to be carrying extra weight with all the running that I will be doing when refereeing. It puts all my joints under a lot more stress! Plus I have a fitness test to excel in…

Are you trying to eat more healthily at the moment, for whatever reason? Do you have any tips that you would like to share?

First refereeing gig of the pre-season

I have been performing various duties as Assistant Referee in the last few weeks. Yesterday, I got to be the ‘man in the middle’ instead so that I could make sure I had not forgotten how to use my whistle and so on!

Virginia Water (Surrey Elite League) take on Feltham (Combined Counties Football League) each year. As a pre-season non-competitive game it should (SHOULD!) be a ‘friendly’ but as I always say to the players… just how friendly it is will be down to them. Cards still count.

A notable point here is that ‘roll on / roll off’ substitutes are not allowed in these games. Some referees seem to let this go but Surrey FA are explicit on this one: Don’t do it! It’s just like a competitive game in that regard, with such substitutes only allowed in veterans and youth football.

I had never refereed either of the teams so had no idea what to expect. However, you can get a good feel based on the atmosphere before the game, as players arrive and so on. It was a good feel: Everyone was smiling, happy and welcoming. The sunshine probably helped! The management teams and players from both sides gave the impression that it was a game to be enjoyed and would be in the right spirit.

The game went well. Feltham certainly had the run of it, which is to be expected given that they are in the higher league. That said, they only managed to score in added time. At times the game was scrappy which resulted in a lot of fouls being given. I like to let the game flow where possible but when a lot of the fouls were blatant trips it is hard to do that. There would certainly have been scope for cautions for Persistent Infringement but the atmosphere stayed friendly with players helping each other to their feet and apologising. I will make the most of this before the season starts for real!

prematch_inspection_talk — Breaking the ice: Pre-match inspection and chat!

Hand-shakes all round at the end. What are my own comments on my performance?

APPLICATION OF LAW: I’m happy I caught pretty much everything. This included disallowing a goal due to a very blatant push on a defender. An easy sell though as it was so obvious! I was aware that I need to get back into the habit of remembering player numbers though in order to keep full awareness of Persistent Infringement.
MATCH CONTROL: The game was played in good spirits and I only needed to ‘have words’ a couple of times. In a competitive game I would have certainly cautioned one player for dissent but it was not needed this time around due to the overall good spirit. The important thing for me here is that I was all set to give it and did not ‘bottle it’.
POSITIONING AND FITNESS: Happy with this. I was in a good position to sell all of my decisions and kept moving. Reacted to where the ball was dropping on set pieces. I did start to flag a little during the second half so there is still room for improvement.
ALERTNESS AND STOPPAGES: There were no surprises. Quickly reacted to an extra ball appearing on the pitch. There was some confusion with a substituted player trying to come back on again but this was resolved before play was restarted.
COMMUNICATION: I was really happy with this. I felt like I had a very good rapport with the players throughout the game. Explained my decisions as required but to be honest, most of them were pretty obvious (blatant shirt pulls, pushes, trips…). I’m also happy that I indicate WHERE a foul was well (this is important when bringing back advantage, so that the player who CURRENTLY has the ball doesn’t feel like they are being accused of something!)
TEAMWORK: Club officials. They did a good job. I overruled upon occasion (such as an offside flag going up too early) and all handled in good grace.
ADVANTAGE: Average. I did play some good ones, although sadly no goals resulted. However, I missed one obvious opportunity when I should have just given it a few more seconds. Hindsight!

Overall, a really enjoyable game and I am looking forward to the next one! It will be for a lower league so it will be interesting to experience the differences…

Migrating to a new Xbox 360

I have had an Xbox 360 for a very long time now. I started out with the 20 GB model which suffered the almost obligatory Red Ring Of Death and I took full advantage of the extended warranty which had been issued due to that exact problem!

Over time, the 20 GB storage has proved to not be enough. Various improvements to the 360 offering have made this happen:

LIVE ARCADE SIZE RESTRICTIONS: The size limit for downloaded games was 50 MB per game on launch. It now sits at 350 MB! Plus the number of titles being released, including ‘homebrew’ has escalated.
MORE MULTIMEDIA: Video rental is now in full force on the 360. They take up a lot of space, particularly if in HD format.
INSTALL TO HARD DRIVE: The ability to install games from DVD to the hard drive did not exist when the console was originally launched. It is now there! A game could take up to 3-4 GB of space and this is a significant chunk of the original 360’s 20 GB hard drive!

It is perhaps also worth remembering that one of the SKU bundles for the 360 did not even have a hard drive!

Good fortune has led me to be in the possession of a shiny new black Xbox 360! Now, deep down, it is doing exactly the same thing as my original console but there are some very noticable differences:

LOTS OF SPACE: The obvious one really, isn’t it?
QUIET: This one was not hard to notice given that the original 360 sounded like a jet turbine. Now it is possible to hear the DVD drive whirring around from across the room.
THE EJECT BUTTON IS CUTE: Wait, what?! This caught me by surprise. When you touch the eject button on the console it makes a little chiming noise. It’s great!

I purchased the Hard Drive Transfer Kit from Amazon UK. This works as simply as you can imagine. Connect one end to the new console and the other to your old hard drive. The dashboard then does the rest (although it took about 15 seconds to realise the cable was there) and migrates the items of your choosing.

One caveat here. I made the mistake of ‘recovering’ my gamer profile on the new 360 before performing the transfer. This proved to be a waste of time because my profile was then overwritten by the one on the old hard drive. Plus, because I had performed the recovery process, it was then marked as out of date so I had to do it again! I didn’t lose any data but it did waste time as everything needed to be downloaded from Microsoft’s servers again.

I’m loving the new console so far. It now matches my other kit (funny how things change: most of my AV stuff used to be white), doesn’t damage hearing and no more worries (yet) about hard drive space!

Are you showing empathy for the game?

In my previous post about my pre-season starting I wrote about adjusting assumptions. I am going to elaborate a little about that today.

A key skill for a referee, or in fact anyone in pretty much any situation, is to show appropriate empathy. The Laws of the Game are immutable but a key skill is to apply them in a which which does not alienate the referee from the players, officials and supporters. Two referees could make the same technical decisions during a match, with one ending up loved and the other hated by the end.

This has been made very clear to me during my pre-season so far. I have been acting as Assistant Referee on various pre-season ‘friendlies’. As is traditional when acting as an Assistant, you can work on a game that you not allowed to actually referee. It is a great learning experience to watch higher-level referees in action.

The game at the semi-professional levels is a different beast to the ‘park’ football that I mostly referee. Applying the same refereeing touch would be a bit of a disaster. Why?

It comes down to the different expectations of the players. The higher level players are more athletic and play in a more physical manner. There is a lot more ‘man-handling’ going one and the players just get on with it! Now, there may still be the desperate appeal for a little shove but it tends to be a quick shout and then instantly forgotten about. In short, they are trying it on.

In my first such pre-season game, there was a tussle in front of me, and I flagged for the foul. In ‘park’ football, it would have been the right decision and the players would have been screaming for it anyway. At this higher level? Neither player had any idea what I had stuck my flag up for! The referee correctly waved play on and I played my ‘Get Out Of Jail Free’ card to the players (“I was too close to have a proper view of it”).

As my pre-season continues, I will need to be very aware of showing appropriate empathy for the skill and fitness levels of the players. This is also a requirement when being assessed, under ‘Match control’. It will have to vary from game to game, and especially from league to league!

How have you demonstrated good (or bad!) empathy in a situation?

Have you started off on the wrong foot and then managed to ‘win’ a situation around?

I would love to have your comments!

First time at the Chelsea Academy

I was really happy to be given an appointment to act as Assistant Referee at the Chelsea FC Academy this weekend. I have helped out in Academy games before at Aldershot Town and Fulham and had heard good things about the Chelsea set-up.

The facilities at their training base in Cobham are certainly impressive. The pitch was exquisite and a privilege to be working on!

The game itself (versus Colchester United) was fun as the talent level of the players was naturally very high. Lots of quality passing play before fast attacking sprints. My legs got a great work-out! The only downside was that it was pouring down with rain for the entire 90 minutes so I was doing a great impression of a drowned rat at the end of it.

Particularly impressive was the discipline and sportsmanship of the players. Both academies involved are clearly coaching their players in the right way. In some ways, the game was nearly refereeing itself which is a great sign of strong discipline.

I have another appointment there soon which I am looking forward to!

‘Unicorn’ – My Tall Tale

This was my entry into the Marlow Regional Tall Tales contest in 2011. It was my first attempt at ever delivering a ‘Tall Tale’. A definite learning experience and I feel that next time I will go for more of a humorous angle as these were the speeches which tended to be the winning ones!

Audio only on this one. As a result, no use of body language to show off but some vocal variety to be listened to! I was going for an emotional story with a moral. What do you think?

I was representing Farnham Speakers and this all falls under the Toastmasters remit.

Speeches, Vocal Variety and Emotion

At the last Farnham Speakers meeting, I was privileged to be able to evaluate a wonderful and emotional speech. The topic was the speaker’s experience at assisting at a home birth and the thrills and concerns that came with it.

I was asked by the speaker to pay particularly attention to Vocal Variety as she had been ‘pulled up’ on this a few times before. It was not the goal of the speech but it is good to be considering the whole package.

The speech was an excellently presented story of the occasion. It made me realise just how much vocal variety is key to the delivery of emotion. This was a very personal story, after all, and there was no doubt as to any of the sincerity. It was very clear just how much the occasion meant to her.

Vocal Variety allows the ‘highs and lows’ of an occasion to contrast with each other, which in turn will make the impact of any emotion so much stronger. As mentioned, the sincerity was very clear. However, what would have made the speech even stronger would have been more vibrant vocal variety with the descriptions of the more ‘manic’ parts of the birth: Suddenly everything starts to happen and there is scope for panic despite any preceding calmness. Reflecting this in the voice is very powerful.

The strong emotional feeling of a baby being delivered safely would contrast so very well against dramatic use of vocal variety in the preceding moments… the ‘Is everything going to be okay?’ effect.

Such contrasting is a classic story-telling technique. Think of all those ‘rags to riches’ stories! “Look at me, I’m confident and strong up here on the stage…. but…. it never used to be this way…”.

How have you used Vocal Variety or other techniques recently to really increase the level of emotional involvement that you have with an audience?