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Dorsch’s team worked with hockey referees to evaluate the use of NeuroTracker, an innovation developed in Montreal, which aims to enhance mental performance by challenging users to track multiple targets moving dynamically in 3D space. In partnership with the Saskatchewan Hockey Association, Dr. The only training referees typically receive is during an actual game, when a lot is on the line.” “Generally, education and training programs for officials focus on rules and communication only – they don’t include cognitive skills training. Training, however, has proven to be helpful in addressing this particular stressor, Dr. “The fear of making mistakes is perceived as the greatest stress factor, even greater than the fear of abuse, especially for referees who are just starting out – it causes officials from many sports to retire,” she says. Dorsch has found that referees encounter different stressors as they move through the various levels of officiating. “Last year, for example, a hockey official made a controversial call and was subsequently suspended by the organization – this perceived lack of support can create additional stress.”Īll these elements can impact the performance of officials, and they can also lead to resignations. Other stressors can come from working with an officiating team or from being employed by an organization, says Dr. “There are two main categories of competition stressors – one is the fear of making mistakes and the other is the fear of abuse, which could be verbal or even physical abuse coming from players, coaches or spectators,” she explains.
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Dorsch calls a “crisis in officiating” is understanding the types of stress referees commonly face. The first step toward alleviating what Dr. “Hockey Canada, for example, is losing about one-third of its officials.” “Attrition rates are high in most sports, and the loss of qualified officials can have significant financial implications,” she says. Dorsch, whose research in the field of sport psychology examines the psychological stressors and coping styles of sports officials, has found that enhanced training can lead to better outcomes for hockey officials. “And generally, they don’t have opportunities to practise some of the mental skills needed to make these calls.”ĭr. But we have to realize that referees have to make very complex cognitive decisions in short periods of time,” she says. “Too often, officials are made scapegoats if the outcome isn’t the one we want.
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“I was watching a game last night and sure enough, people got riled up when the official didn’t call a penalty – and this non-call led to a touchdown. “Any call an official makes typically pleases half the people,” says Kim Dorsch, a professor in the University of Regina’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies. What comes next could be greeted with cheers or groans, depending on whether the call is in favour of our team or the opposition. They get points for speed and accuracy.We’ve all been there: at the edge of our seats and engrossed in a game when the referee’s whistle interrupts the action. Players have to control the ball and then pass it through one of 64 targets as quickly as possible. It’s the ultimate toy – a 14m x 14m room with a ball-firing machine on each side. In Germany, Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim have installed a multi-million pound device called the ‘Footbonaut’. This kind of training can improve players’ decision making on the pitch. They have to track the position of the balls, which get faster and faster as they progress. The athlete puts on 3D goggles and stands in front of a screen with a number of balls bouncing around on it like a computer screensaver.
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These are a vital part of football, where you have to keep track of the movement of the ball, your teammates and your opponents.Īdvanced versions of these games are now being used to train athletes across a range of sports from ice hockey to Aussie rules. United were also one of the early pioneers of computer games to help train players’ 3D vision and object tracking skills.