DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Simply TKD (Taekwondo)
HTML https://simplytkd.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Taekwondo in General
*****************************************************
#Post#: 130--------------------------------------------------
Referees At Nationals - Problem?
By: Ladytkd Date: June 16, 2014, 1:40 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Here are a couple of posts I was given permission to share from
the referee forum. It is pretty self-explanatory. Is USAT saving
money at the expense of mistakes?
"USAT is providing referees with a small dinner per diem instead
of bringing food into the Convention Center. If competition runs
late referees must leave the venue and walk to a nearby
restaurant for dinner further delaying competition or not eat.
The decision to not feed referees but rather give them an
inadequate 2/3 of the federal meal rate will result in delays or
hypoglycemic referees trying to insure safety and fairness while
starving and tired. At a minimum this decision will insure there
are some very angry referees."
"I have had parents offer to go get the referees sandwiches so
we could sit in the ring and eat while running matches. The
sentiment is understandable but tired and hungry (hypoglycemic)
referees make mistakes. We make mistakes that impact safety and
fairness. If we were bus drivers would parents want us to drive
their kids when we had been working for 15 hours (fights at 11
pm) and hadn't eaten? A fed and rested referee is less likely to
make mistakes. In the absence of rest or adequate nutrition USAT
could provide drugs. Referees have been asking for coffee on the
floor to counteract the effects of exhaustion and starvation as
a way to improve safety and fairness. USAT has refused."
There are currently 3813 unique participants, some competing in
up to 4 divisions. Referees are looking at reduced parking
reimbursement, no food in the venue and long days. One reason
referees attend national events is to socialize - not just for
the kids. They take their vacation time, pay last minute plane
fare and are subject to unfair conditions,
"Coffee, reasonable end times, adequate rest, endless poomsae
assignment and reasonable meals all go to competitor fairness
and safety the primary obligation of referees. Tired, dehydrated
and hungry referees make mistakes and those mistakes compromise
fairness and safety. Coffee is not a luxury it is a chemical
antidote for referees having been worked too hard the day
before, not getting enough sleep because the competition went
too long, the referee was traveling all night, jet lagged, in a
strange bed, roommate snores, up all night with diarrhea from
strange water or food, has been sitting judging poomsae for
eight straight hours, etc. USAT’s failure to provide this legal
drug to perk up, and thus preserve fairness and safety, is
criminally stupid. In Chicago we got an inadequate meal per diem
for lunch and dinner and then worked until late when most nearby
restaurants were closed. Most referees ate lunch and dinner
alone. In San Jose most of the restaurants within a few blocks
of the venue close at 8-10pm. There are fast food places open
til midnight. Near the University there are student places open
til late. There is one McDonalds about 6 blocks away that is
open 24 hours. The hotel restaurant is open til midnight and is
not cheap. A meal per diem is a service to referees if the event
ends at a reasonable time (no later than 7 pm) so referees can
group up go out, eat, socialize and get back to bed before 10 or
11pm. If the event goes later than 7pm then a meal per diem is a
big F* You! to referees. Normal human physiology and a lunch of
mixed carbohydrates, protein and fats results in a slow decrease
in blood sugar levels over 3-5 hrs. resulting in a low level,
comparable to the pre-breakfast level, around 4-7 pm if lunch
was noon-2pm. Low blood sugar symptoms include confusion and bad
decision-making (fairness and safety). A meal of proteins and
fats with no carbohydrates slows the blood sugar level decline.
Carbohydrates (like a bowl of candy) causes blood sugar to spike
quickly and then decline faster (fruit is not much better).
After 5 pm if one doesn’t eat blood sugar level slowly declines
but the symptoms of hypoglycemia (the same symptoms as
starvation), disorientation, confusion and poor decision-making,
increase. Referees who are hypoglycemic make bad decision, no
matter how tough and manly they are. Coffee mediates insulin
sensitivity and, to an extent counters some of the symptoms of
hypoglycemia but it increases dehydration which also has
symptoms of confusion, disorientation and bad decision making."
Thoughts?
Remember, security will not allow food from the outside. So
unless USAT provides food from the venue, referees have to walk
to find somewhere to eat on a limited per diem. Not fair to
referees or the kids in their rings.
*****************************************************