Message from our President,

Welcome back to all.

As you all know we are about to start the Girls' Lacrosse season. I am looking forward to seeing and working with you this coming season. You will be required to register with US Lacrosse and complete and pass the online exam. The National Convention will be held in Philadelphia this year. The Officials' Manual is available on the US Lacrosse website.

Please prepare yourself for the upcoming season by reading your Rule Book and Officials' Manual. Remember you will wan to order the US Lacrosse rulebook, NOT the NCAA book. I know that I always learn something when I study my Manual and Rule Book. One of our goals for the coming year is to have a complete knowledge of the rules and the mechanics we should be using on the field.

We should also be preparing ourslves physically. If you need to get a yearly physical please do it now. You may find out something about your health that needs to be addressed immediately. We should all be able to keep up physically with the level of play that we are officiating. Assess yourself after each game and honestly ask yourself if you are able to handle this level.

We should continue to set goals for ourselves. Identify your strengths and weaknesses and maike a determined effort to improve both areas of your officiating. Self introspection is often a good way to determine if you feel your game is improving. Be willing to accept constructive criticism from a fellow official.

Please remember that we work as a team on and off the field. Your only friend on the fioeld is your partner. We need to support each other at all times. We need to respect each other on and off the field. This includes any official who is also coaching a team. When working a game a pregame conference is a must for all. Discuss game situations and mechanics before you start, this way you will know what to expect from your partner during the game. If you need to address a situation that occurred on the field, talk it over at half time or after the game in private. Please refrain from fraternizing with the coaching staff and/or players. This can only lead to problems no matter how innocent this contact is.

Finally, have a good time while you are out there officiating. Do not let others get you down. We all make mistakes; the important thing is to learn from our mistakes and to be fair to the players. Listen to the coaches, but do not let them influence how you are calling the game.

I believe that we have the highest level of officiating in the state, and know that you all will prove that to yourselves this season. If you have any problems during the season please call or email me.

Sincerely,

President, SWLOA