Refing seminar

Yesterday, I attended a USA ice hockey referee clinic- which is a mandatory task each year you want to ref. Overall, it went well- for not skating in almost 2 years anyway. I admit that I was the first ref to take a fall on the ice. Another, older ref gave the" you owe me a beer" signal. A few minutes later, he was down on his keester. That's usually how those things work isn't it? You make fun of someone and then you find yourself in the same spot. This type of picking is expected at these clinics, so I took it all in stride with a big smile and laughing it off. Later, when we had circled up at center ice, following the warm up, one of the instructors made a point of mentioning that when the level 4 refs" shoot the duck" they fall. None of the level 2 refs fell during shoot the duck. His comment made me feel justified in falling earlier.

Again, for at least the third year in a row, I was the only female level 2 referee on the ice. Women refs are a rare breed in ice hockey. New referees, in general, only 10 to 20% come back for the next season. In my own district, there are only 4-6 women refs each year. I mentored a first year female ref one year for one game- I haven't seen her, or her name on any communications or at any events.

There is a glass ceiling in refereeing- women refs in the NHL for example. The district 1 referee in chief, had officiated some of my college games, and I asked afterward what I have to do to move up in the referee world. He gave me a list, and told me it was too late this year to do h.s. league because everything was already assigned. I told him that was ok, and I hadn't expected to move up to that level this year since I had a baby in June. I think I surprised him in my resoponse, that I needed to know so I can work towards it.

Overall, it felt really good to skate yesterday. I am reminded of muscles I had forgotten about.

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