MHC Dish From the Pitch 2013 MHC Dish From the Pitch 4

WEEK 4- June 16, 2013 REF-COM ONE: On-Field Technology Improves Reffing Consistency by Aislinn Leonard With the 20th Anniversary of the MHC just two seasons away, the club is doing everything possible to make sure we have all things necessary to celebrate the landmark year fully equipped. O n - f i e l d officials have been given new Midland Two-Way Radios to communicate and raise the bar for reffing standards. R e f e r e e Coordinator Caroline Vanevenhoven and Master Ref Jerry Miksch agree the radios are a great tool for cooperation between refs, goal judges, sideline judges, and scoreboard. For example, Caroline said, “Last week we were able to communicate with goal judges for an aggressive foul on a goalie that would have otherwise been missed.” With immediate and personal on-field communication the refs don’t have to shout across the field or disrupt the game to discuss fouls, points, or controversial calls. Dave Olson, Nick “Tater” Ruetz, and Matt Ebert have all worn the referee headsets on the sidelines to provide extra sets of eyes on the field. Caroline further explained, “We are watching 30 people. It’s nice to know what to watch out for behind the play.” Another potential benefit of the radios could be in referee training, and while Jerry says, “nothing compares to shadowing on-field,” the radios could give insight to the new referees as to how the pros are seeing the field and discussing issues. Adding the radios is a big step for the MHC, as it will hopefully make the difficult job of reffing a little bit easier for our awesome, hardworking, volunteer on-field officials. **Jerry says, “I sing in the mics just for fun.” Next time he’s reffing your game be sure to listen closely!**