Page 12 - The Hockey Academy News June 2018

SUMMER OFFICIATING CAMPS
By Eugene Binda
Your season is over you ask yourself what could I have done differently to achieve
your goal be it working a higher level of hockey or working a playoff game?
Officials are just as completive as players we all strive to be better, however with the amount of games being played it is getting tougher to be evaluated and received valuable feedback on a consistent level at the lower levels and depending upon leagues at the upper levels you are lucky to receive feedback more than 3-4 times over the entire season. So what does an official need to do to get better and develop in to a top rate official? Just like the players do, they go to the summer camps to get better!
There are a number of officiating camps throughout the United States and Canada. However, choosing which camp to go to can be complicated process. Since there are camps that specialize at different levels, mechanics and officiating systems, so when choosing a camp you must ask yourself what are my goals? If you are a first –to – third year official you should pick a camp that will offer videotaping of your games and solid classroom instruction.
For the officials looking move into Junior, College or Professional Ranks you need to look at “Exposer” camps these camps put officials into games and expose their abilities to a variety of league supervisors and assignors.
And that is what you want, you want to make a connection with the league supervisors, and assignors and have some one on one discussion on how you can add
value to their team.
All most all camps do a cost, tuition, travel, housing, meals and a commitment away from family and work all factor into the opportunity to get ahead.
When picking a camp, make sure the leagues you are trying get into have staff from those and leagues and build a relationship with them.
On a special note Don Koharski former NHL Referee and now an NHL Officiating manager, has been running officials camps in Canada for the many years and for the first time have a camp in conjunction with the Elite Hockey Showcase in Nashville Tennessee. The Dates are June 11-14 and will be held at the Ford Center in Nashville.
Officials looking to Advance from Junior to the Professional Ranks will not be disappointed the staffs from every junior and professional league will have representation at the camp. For more information please contact Don Koharski at http://dkrefcamps.com. The deadline is April 15, 2018.
For those officials who are currently USA Registered or Members of National Ice Hockey
Officials (NIHOA) Association who are interested in advancing to the junior and collegiate levels, we have had several tournaments starting in April and at midget and junior level the tournaments that will include secondary training on player safety, game management, and on ice mechanics for all officiating systems. After successful completion of the classes you will added to the staffs at the junior level to The United States Premier Hockey League and The Eastern Hockey League, which are the training leagues for Atlantic Hockey League.
All the training is free of charge and if you are capable of meeting the requirements I will also add you to the staffs of College Hockey America a Division 1 Women’s League and the following men’s leagues; The Division 2 North East 10 and at the Division 3 The North East Conference and the Massachusetts College Athletic Conference.
For those interested please contact me at gene@refcrease.com trainings will start with classroom training in May at the Foxboro Arena and The Atlantic Hockey Office in Winthrop Mass.
ONE CALL DOES IT ALL!
Scheduling, Payroll And Officiating Development
gene@refcrease.com
Office 781.534. 2558
12 JUNE 2018 | THEHOCKEYACADEMY.COM