The Referee’s Secret Weapon
Welcome to issue #07 of Referees Playbook. Each week, I send one short essay that helps sports fans understand the view of a referee.
Unlock Your Refereeing Edge by Teaching Others
What if the fastest way to be a better referee isn’t more matches?
But it was teaching someone else? Would you want in on this secret?
This week, I ran a workshop for Auckland Hockey on handling pressure like a pro.
The questions, debates, and lightbulb moments from the group didn’t just fire them up – they lit a spark in me.
Suddenly, my own approach to managing pressure games
Feels sharper
Clearer
More in focus
Here’s What I’ve Noticed – Top Performers Teach
Top National and International referees share their skills. They pass on their knowledge to local schools and clubs.
It’s their competitive edge.
This isn’t feel good propaganda. It’s how the best stay at their best.
I’ve read and studied famous Kiwi sports psychologists like Dr. Ceri Evans and David Galbraith, but nothing cements the learnings more than when I pass them on to someone else.
Teaching doesn’t just help others; it rewires your brain.
The one who learns the most in a classroom? The teacher.
Teaching Isn’t Just For Coaches
It’s how I’ve leveled up my refereeing. Every time I run a workshop, the students teach ME something new as well.
The Three Hacks - Here’s Why Teaching is a Secret Weapon:
Hack Your Brain: Explaining a concept, like using breathing to keep yourself calm under pressure, helps your brain fire quickly, the next time you need it.
Stay Razor-Sharp: Teaching keeps your skills fresh when you hear others resonate and relate to a tip and trick you share about a mental warm-up before a big match.
Inspire and Grow: Sharing your knowledge at a school or club helps to keep you inspired. Plus, you’re helping build a stronger sports community.
Last week, a mentor said the following phrase to me:
Teaching and helping others enables us to - Be the tide.
Harvard Professor Proves Teaching is the Secret Weapon
This idea isn’t just for sports.
Harvard professor Arthur Brooks, a global expert on happiness, teaches it in his ‘Managing Happiness’ course.
His final module? You guessed it - Start a happiness teaching practice.
Why?
Brooks says happiness comes from understanding, applying, and sharing knowledge.
It’s the teaching of others that locks in your own mastery.
Cheat Codes For Sharper Skills, Confidence, and Clarity
Try This: Pick one refereeing skill you’re good at.
Maybe it’s reading the game, positioning and anticipating play, communicating with players, an ability to remain calm.
Maybe its a professional skill you have refined at work.
Teach it to a teammate, colleague, or junior umpire.
Trust me, you’ll walk away sharper.
Let me know your thoughts.