I walk the line.

A fair few developments have occurred in my NSO world lately. The most significant is undoubtedly that I have been accepted as an NSO in the first ever roller derby World Cup! To say that I'm excited is like saying that Monsanto is evil: a gross understatement. So many unknowns: how many bouts will I work? how many positions? can I write the ref cert test while I'm there? will Team NZ bring Marmite with them? This is history in the making and while I'm mostly humbled by the chance, I confess a wee slice of me is like "Check my shit OUT!" Fortunately a certain measure of hubris is allowed in derby :)

So, onto other topics. I am digging skating a lot. Already feeling more confident, I'm taking my time, learning skills slowly and with much repetition. My skates have a little wear and tear on them now, my core feels stronger than it was even last week, and I'm looking forward to skating outside while my boy rides his bike. It has also cemented the fact that I do NOT want to derby. I'll leave that to the braver (ahem, crazier) ladies of the track. When it's bout time, give me a clipboard or a timer and I'm in nirvana.

What else what else? Oh, I'm loving the new WFTDA officiating manual and Rules Central. I'm on it almost every day, I like to look up random rules and clarifications and commit them to memory, all in preparation for when I write The Test. Another confession: having been told that NO ONE passes the test the first time, up flares the pilot light in my head that declares SOMEBODY has to, just once, so why not me? What's wrong with that thinking? Well, my fatal flaw is that is  deep in my brain there is a block-headed saboteur who decides if I am not going to be the best at something, I won't do it at all. Ridiculous, yes. True, also yes. With years of practice I have somewhat muffled her caterwauling, otherwise I wouldn't be here now. I knew I wasn't going to be the best NSO in the world from day 1, but it's just too much fun to stay away. So I will study study study, write the test when I get a chance, and do MY best, which is all anyone ever does.

Lastly:
I have heard more than once, from more than one person, that as refs, having each others' backs is paramount during a bout. Now I understand why. If one official is seen yelling at another, even if what they are yelling is technically correct, it lowers morale and creates a fissure, a point of entry for friction and negativity. If I'm doing something wrong, do I want to know about it? Absolutely. As an NSO I shit the bed sometimes and I need to know if you can smell it. But do I want to hear about it in the middle of a bout, at lung-bursting volume, with veins popping in your forehead? Nah thanks. In fact, if that be your method of communication, the obstinate mule in me is going to shut out all further input from you, regardless of its content. If it's a fellow zebra being scolded/screamed at, the mama bear in me will stand on her hind legs and fucking dare you to attack my cubs again. And the chattering magpie in me will make it known that you are not a team player. Which is a lot of animals, and a lot of drama, all best avoided.
So let's keep cool heads shall we? Write it down, ask for a timeout, wait til the jams ends, talk it over in the change room, whatever. Learn to walk the line between sharing information that may be getting missed, and respecting that everyone has their own role and trusting them to work it. The world is not going to end when a mistake is made, but how we handle it, and each other, will spell the difference between camaraderie and divisiveness. Good sportsmanship isn't just for the athletes. Plenty O out.