It was great to see my friend Roger Ayers recently while he was officiating the Georgetown vs. Syracuse rivalry game. This rivalry dates back to the 1930s and has been a very heated match-up many times. Roger Ayers is a great friend both in and outside of the world of officiating. He’s extremely competent at his job and is always willing to help so many officials on their journey. Simply put a great leader in officiating.
Roger did an exceptional job in this game, along with his two officiating partners. He was running hard, smiling, making the necessary calls, and bringing people together.
In a fiercely fought rivalry battle, both teams really wanted to win, Roger did a great job of bringing people together. During the game, once with players and once with the coaches, Roger brought people together to have a conversation instead of just allowing the game and the physicality to continue. Roger blew his whistle and waved the players at one time, and then the coaches soon after together. With a wink, a smile, and a pat on the back, Roger offered some advice and counsel to calm the game down. Both times, it worked and it was just the most perfect response.
I think this leadership technique does a few things:
- Number 1: It literally brings people together, face-to-face against your opponent. They can see the humanity in each other and look each other in the eyes.
- Number 2: Both parties hear the same calming message at the same time.
- Number 3: The whole arena can see Roger being a peacemaker. They all saw him bringing people together. It’s a great leadership technique.
- Number 4: It’s a break in the action. Everyone can catch their breath and kind of reset to continue the game in a professional manner.
- Number 5: If there were any further technical fouls everybody in the arena, including each team, saw that Roger had brought those people together if they continued to not follow the rules or misbehave, and he had to assess a technical foul, everybody knows that he had given them a chance to stop with a warning.
Roger is one of the best officials out there for many reasons, including having the best hair! But it’s these types of actions that really separate him from the rest. He is a leader of people and a great representation of the game. The ACC and the NCAA are lucky to have him as he continues to serve the game. Thanks, Roger for your leadership.
