Referees and race judges, poor things.
In every sport these figures catalyze hatred, anger and swearing of spectators (not only of the most fanatical). And they are somewhat underestimated: it is classic to consider them as ex-sportsmen who have attempted the jump, but have not made it.
And the life of judge CrossFit®, such as?
A flapping.
Index
busy
If you are a judge (depending on the organization of the race: you have no qualifications, you have taken the judge course online, you are Level 1) the races take up a weekend. Long, because you have to get moving on Friday.
The first briefings are in fact on Friday evening, at 19.
From this moment until the end of the competition, there are no free moments for the judge.
19pm the evening before the race: the briefing
THEhead judge has a very important task: to remind the judges that he coordinates that the protagonists of the race… are not them, but they are the athletes.
We then move on to analyze and evaluate WODs foreseen by the competition, discussing how to judge them: from flow in the most insignificant detail, everything is taken into consideration.
Then you have dinner, though, right?
No: because there is the athletes briefing (in which the judges participate in silence, but at least it is another opportunity to review the WOD).
The day of the race
In short, the athletes of the first heat they will warm up in the warm up area.
The races… well, you've been there. Ball music, adrenaline, people giving their all.
Sweat.
There is no moment of breath. Judges keep an eye on every single rep, guardians of the bogeyman called No rep.
After lunch (a modest stopgap offered by the organization, which for reasons of… organization, in fact, you are encouraged to consume as quickly as possible), there is the cut.
From the cut up
Fewer athletes means less heat, and therefore (a little) less tension ... not exactly.
Because now those who are serious begin to push - in the eyes the prospect of the podium.
Another briefing judge then another for athletes, e the semi-finals and final WODs are discovered.
Here comes the second cut: that of the judges. Always the responsibility of the head judge, because it is up to him to choose the most expert and competent judges: in these phases it takes experience… e responsibilities are great.
What it takes to be a good CrossFit® judge
If you think that all this is a commitment, remember that the most delicate role is that of the head judge, not only for the decisions he has to make, but because he will have to handle any complication and any trouble.
If this career still attracts you - which unfortunately is not yet a career, at least here with us - beyond the title (which, as we have seen, is not always required in Italy) it takes to be a judge
- Do CrossFit®. Believe it a lot, train hard, give it a go
- Study movement standards (especially those that change over time)
- Participate in many, many competitions: is the best way to sharpen your judgment and to learn how to manage the tension of the race
- Work with top-level head judges who have experience to sell
And then ... the desire to be yanked around in the boot, to lose more than a few weekends, to sleep little and stay in that chaos that makes our favorite competitions unique.