Weekly Bull 7/17/19

THE WEEKLY BULL - JULY 17, 2019

Weekly Bull – The Weekly “Bull” is one of our most important means of communication and instruction. The Bull dates back as far as I can remember (George Shutte had the secretary run it off on the mimeograph machine – google that!) and continues to be used on a weekly basis today. Each week you are expected to read the Weekly Bull and incorporate the on-field elements into your pre-game weekly preparation. On weeks where we have a regular meeting, we will discuss (back-and-forth quickly) but you are still responsible for pre-reading its contents.

New Rooms This Week – We will be changing rooms so be patient as we get the hang of our new school.  So far I’ve heard good things about Challenger.  It’s always a risk to move to a new site.  We are paying for custodial coverage so it is important that we exit when class is over at 8:30.  We can continue conversations outside the gate, but we must allow the custodian to leave on time.  Thank you.

1^st Year and 2^nd Year Classes – You will meet this Wednesday 7/17 with your regular class.  I will be available to guide you to your new classrooms so just go to rooms 517 and 518 and we’ll all move together to the new classrooms.  You do not attend the Position Clinic for Umpires and Referees…meet with your regular class – always. 

Umpire and Referee Clinic - For all Umpires and Referees - plus anyone who is interested (but not 1st year or 2nd year officials) - Wednesday, July 17th at 7:00 pm at Challenger Middle School Auditorium.  Garth DeFelice (NFL Supervisor of Officials and Super Bowl Official) plus Brian Bortness (NCAA DIII Referee) will be presenting: Referee and Umpire Mechanics and the Development of Great Communication! Special emphasis will be placed on Initial Keys, Run/Pass Zone Coverage, and the Disintegration of the Zones. All 1st year, 2nd year, and transfers must meet in their regular classes and will not attend this session. All certified are invited to attend! 

Attendance Was Superior Last Week! – Last week’s attendance was unbelievable.  Thank you for your commitment to the SDCFOA and the game of football!  In two weeks, at our regularly scheduled July 24^th  meeting we will be participating in our new Calibration Videos for 2019, reviewing an Instructional Video, and reviewing the new rules and new mechanics for 2019.  If time permits we will be reviewing The Football Fundamentals which are located in the Rule Book immediately after rule 10.

Honigs Equipment Sales at Challenger MS – Wednesday August 7^th – The SDCFOA does not endorse any individual company that sells officiating equipment and uniforms.  But we do encourage all of the vendors to visit and advertise.   That being said, be prepared for the opportunity to update or purchase new equipment at our regular August 7^th meeting when Honigs equipment and apparel will be at the school starting at 6:00.  They are offering 5% discounts for SD officials and 10% discounts for veterans and purchases over $200!  Our own Victor Hawthorne is the sales representative for Honigs.

Mike Pereira – Thank You! – Mike’s story was a linear one and I appreciate his migration from, “What can we do about the shortage of officials?” to “What if we recruited the veteran and active military personnel?” to “Let’s talk about the huge contributions made by our United States Military Veterans!”  I appreciate Mike’s perspective that our USA Military Veterans have given so much to our country, so let’s welcome them into our “team “of officials and give them that same “esprit de corps”.  That is why we proudly display our USA Veteran patch on our shirts if we have earned that honor.  Additional patches have been ordered! 

Reminders from Mike Carey – Here are a few of Mike’s words from his 2016 presentation to our association.  I’m sure you’ll find them still relevant for your goal setting this year!

• Improvement comes with hard work. There are no short cuts.

• You must have a passion for the game – otherwise the hard work is too hard.

• We must support each other and work hard on behalf of our fellow officials and our crew.

• It’s all about the 2 hours on the field. Be prepared…then enjoy it! 

HUDL Video – New officials, we are extensive users of video and have chosen the HUDL software for this purpose.  The HUDL video can be found at www.hudl.com.  If you are new to HUDL, you will be sent an email message from HUDL which will allow you to log in and then will direct you to change the temporary password.  You will be receiving a weekly instructional video with 12-20 plays.  It is expected that you watch and study each weekly instructional video.

San Diego Youth Fund Scholarships – Thank you to the scholarship committee led by Jake Minger and Mike Downing. We are doing incredible work highlighted by our financial support to those in need.  Great job SDCFOA!

SDCFOA Summer Study Guide – Question 75 – the answer sheet is wrong – correct answer is d.  I’ve included another copy of the summer study guide with question #75 corrected.  All correct answers and focus are provided. Thanks! - Steve