The annual ho-hum

n most areas and most sports, officials are required to attend at least one annual clinic; and, in some cases, they’re required to attend clinics several times a year. That’s great for the keeners, who look at the clinics as an opportunity to learn more. But not everyone is a keener. Some officials go to clinics only because they have to.

Some get tired of going to clinics where the same old stuff is taught in the same old way by the same old instructors. So they don’t return, and word gets around that your clinics are boring. Registration drops. All of a sudden you’re shaking your head and wondering why.

Numbers aren’t the only problem, of course. For those who do want to attend, they can get more out of your clinics if they’re run more efficiently.

What’s in a clinic?

I’ve been a clinic conductor for almost a decade, which means I’ve been busy conducting clinics instead of taking them. (That means I have to be there, even if the instructor [me] is boring.)

Until last year when I branched out into another sport where I was the student, I had forgotten just how bad a clinic can be if the instructor doesn’t know what he is doing. So in this three-part series, we’re going to look at ways to make your clinic better for everyone involved.

Continued...