Thursday 13 February 2025

12th edition of REFEREE.PL summary – Antalya, TURKEY

Dear Campers,

It is more than a week after we finished this year’s camp in Turkey. As we know everybody arrived home safe. Some people stayed longer in Turkey, some of you are already officiating at summer tournaments and others went to back to work or for a change to proper vacations. I was wondering who remembers the things was talked during the camp in Antalya…

Then I started to check pictures and talk to some of you on Facebook. The camp is alive as long as you talk about it. And from what I see, REFEREE.PL is very much alive! No other way actually, as this year everything was great and some things happening for the first time in the 12 years history of the camp. Like starting from the beginning, we went out of Poland quite far away, as mother land of Kuba is Poland, by default camp was in Poland, but as is shown, not for the first time (Estonia twice before), it can be very much popular in any country and there are always people who wants to come and will travel the distance no matter where. As one referee said during the closing ceremony: “As long as Kuba makes the camp, I does not care if this if close or far away, I will always come, even to Macau.” This is very heartwarming for the camp staff, and especially for Kuba who cares about every single one of you, who come to the camp, but why am I mentioning, you know it for sure.

On 2 sessions we were almost 60 people from 25 countries and 4 continents. This is an amazing mixture of cultures and it was visible how you guys are trying to get to know each other and learning how to work together, which is very important for referees worldwide, as in games you usually do not work with the colleagues from your country and still no matter the borders, as a crew you need to take care of the game. As Costas says: “The game is the most important, and we need to bring it to the happy end.” So thank you for being with us guys, some of you for the first time, but many names repeats during those years and you guys became our voice out there, as word of mouth is spreading the fastest. Thanks to you, our camp is known worldwide and people even from „the edge of the world” can come. We are very proud of this and happy to help and serve all of you.

And now we have to consider holding next camp in Macau 🙂

No camp would go on without you of course, but also without the people who come there for you as much as you come to meet them – our instructors. We had 11 instructors at the camp this year and 2 helping remotely. I would like to say big THANKS for them – Costas Rigas, Carl Jungebrand, Steve Seibel, Romas Brazauskas, Petr Sudek, Buluc Yalcin, Peter Papp, Dr Ridvan Ekmekci, Ersan Kartal, Lahdo Sharro, Kuba Zamojski, Jose Anibal Carrion and Peter Strikwerda. Also to our guest from Qatar, Mr Mohammed Ali Rashid Al-Subaye. These guys are using their vacations and sacrificing their personal time in the name of basketball and for you, to teach you, to watch you, to talk to you, to share their experience, as they all believe you have to invest in young generation. As Carl said: “Next generation will be always better than previous one!”

So we had lectures, brand new topics from FIBA, introduced by Carl, practices in the court, learning how to run and find good position. Also how to make a good toss. Very basic, but very important. We need to remember these basics, Steve: “Don’t try to run before you can walk!” We watched clips together with Costas and Kuba and learn how to analyze them and what color it is for today. So when we all decide is red, this is going to be red. This is the same philosophy Costas is using in Euroleague when they sit with referees and coaches and decide for next season. For example: This is an offensive foul, so it will be called always as an offense. And it works! Actually Costas is having this meeting now in Barcelona.

All the instructors were trying to build your confidence on the court. No matter which league you officiate! We all remember the words from Steve: “Mark your presence, inspire your confidence when you come out on the court, make them feel you!” Also we spoke a lot about the attitude and goals. Costas told us, that you will never meet your goals when you are doing safe refereeing, means the refereeing for not to make mistakes. Best leagues in the world are not looking for safe referees, take the risk!!! For that you need to be mentally and physically present on the court all the time. How to keep your concentration, how to handle difficult situation and solve conflicts? We also had a group of people on the camp that helped you develop your mind: Dr Ridvan with his questionnaires and their analysis showed you, what you fear most, why and how to deal with it, Peter Papp introduced you to his Refereemindset.com and what benefits this course has for you. As Costas summarized: “Whatever you have learned about psychological approach you need to transform to the court and be ready to use your whistle.” Games, the essence of referee’s life. The best you learn using all of this tips and tricks that were presented to you in the real world, so on the court. At our camp this are not regular games, because you are being observed by the top class referees people from the world. This is giving additional taste to the game, making you nervous, triggering your hidden fields of energy and burning with passion. I know, as I feel the same, and I am observing you guys. This is amazing. As Kuba and Steve said: “What you do at 11 am camp game is what you will do at your top level game!!!”

So yes, this is small lesson. Also to load your batteries before the next season and come armed with new weapons! Be ready! Always be ready!

We hope that you take the most of the camp from every single instructor and participant who was there, as we are all learning. Everyone picks up something for himself, something different, and something that at this moment you need the most to go further with your officiating career. And this is what we wish for you. To make progress in refereeing, to achieve your goals, one by one, to be on the top and stay there happy and eventually to come back to our camp, because this is where this feeling of fight for your career starts and we keep the fire here!

Be sure we will keep you busy with the website, by posting some clips and work together to interpret decisions in a right way with our friends from all over the world and FIBA. Once in a while will appear some interview or interesting article and we will continue like this until the next edition of the camp. If you have any questions, concerns, texts to post, clips, or someone is writing a blog, or have some pictures, do not hesitate to write to us, we are open for you!

All the best for ALL FRIENDS of the REFEREE.PL!!!

Marta, Referee.pl Staff