Staying in the Game. (Keeping Your Edge).

WHO? Dave Westol

WHAT? Executive Director

WHERE? Theta Chi Fraternity, Indianapolis

WHEN? Since 1989

Q: How and why did you start officiating?

A: Sixteen years ago I played in a charity football game and our player coach was also an official. A couple of years later he approached me about getting involved on his crew. It sounded intriguing so I signed up, took an open-book test, and found myself registered a few days later. In my first year I knew so little about what I was supposed to be doing, it was a miracle I didn't have any major gaffes.

I think for all of us it's necessary to have one or two things in our lives that we can go to as a change of pace, to get away from the work. Officiating is definitely a departure from work because, as they say, there aren't many avocations where, on a regular basis, people are questioning your intelligence quotient, your eyesight, your knowledge of the rules, the occupation of your mother, and the legitimacy of your birth.

Also, at work it's easy to become too much the CEO and think that you're always right or that your opinion is the one that counts. Being an official quickly brings you back down to reality--it's a great leveling exercise.

Q: What kind of commitment is involved?

A: A varsity game is a commitment of four to five hours, including travel, on a Friday night. I also try to attend one or two weekend seminars each year. I'm a member of an area officials' association, which has weekly meetings before and during the season. Obviously, physical conditioning is critical, so I try to work out for one hour per day in order to stay where I need to be. And, you have to know the rules backwards and forwards and know the other officials' positions as well as you know your own. That means sitting down and grinding through the rulebooks and mechanics for each position. I think a good official has to be committed to that study because if you don't know the rules, you can't enforce them and you aren't going to know what to look for on the field. The saying about officiating is, your first time out you have to work a perfect game and then improve exponentially after that.

Q: What motivates you to stay involved?

A: It's fun, and it's a great way to get away from the job. I enjoy the physical activity, the camaraderie and teamwork with the other officials, and the kids. For me, it's one of the few things I've found in life that requires physical, emotional, and mental commitment in the sense that you really have to focus all your abilities on the field. The average high school game has about 140 plays and when you finish you're really exhausted, but if you focused on each play, you feel good about what you've done. Standing there on Friday night at 7:29, right before kick-off and the smells and the sounds and everything going on around you...to me, there aren't many better ways to spend a Friday night. So I'll keep officiating as long as my legs will hold up and my vision is good, although that's always in question according to some coaches.