One of the most important and least appreciated components of sports is the officials who keep order and enforce the rules, according to some of the men who preside over San Quentin athletics.
“They should be appreciated because they keep law, order, fairness and communication,” says Kevin Chattman, who referees for the San Quentin Kings basketball team.
“The characteristic an official must possess first and foremost is integrity,” says Sean Simms, who also officiates at Kings’ games. “Integrity in sports is the duty to make an honest call to the best of your ability, as long as it was the most honest call that you can make from your vantage point.”
Officials must have great work ethics and display mental toughness as well, adds Drew Piazza, the lead official for Kings’ basketball games.
“What I usually do is study the rule book the night before and the morning of games to familiarize myself so I can be sharp with my calls,” Piazza said. “One of the key things is blocking everything out. I don’t listen to them when I’m out there. I don’t hear them. I’m not there to make friends or to appease them. I’m there to officiate and that’s it. In prison, officiating can be hard. One has to be fair and firm and demand respect or you cannot do this job in prison. The key is to be fair and firm.”
Officials often face challenges through the course of games. Simms says, “The number one thing is staying focus on the game and not allowing outside comments to interfere with your calls. Second is not being able to see everything and react as quickly as we would like to.”
Chattman said, “I want to be so good and perfect. I sometimes miss things because I’m a fan of the game, enjoying the game as I am officiating.”
Officials must exercise their authority over the game at all times. They must have the ability to lay down the law without partiality. Simms says, “The job of an official is to maintain the principle of the game. It is to ensure that the rules and regulations are enforced. It’s also to maintain the sportsmanship of the game.”