In this episode of Hoops Official, I interviewed Karol Kowalski, a #fiba & #korisliiga referee based in Rovaniemi, #Finland. His travels can take up to 24 hours on a weekday for a single FIBA game. Naturally, we talked a lot about what he does to keep himself physically and mentally ready, for example; what he eats and when he sleeps. We discussed his journey from starting as a table official in #Poland to becoming a FIBA referee in #Finland. He told about the challenges he faced in his early career, such as basketball being not so popular in Poland and the way he handled abuse as a young referee. He also shared handy tips on improving your officiating skills, ranging from sofa calling, chair defending for travel cal, and imagining situations that one day can happen on the court.
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Chapters:
00:00:00 - 00:06:30 Introduction to Karol's refereeing journey from Poland to Finland
00:06:30 - 00:12:45 Are you a basketball referee in a non-basketball country? Karol's experience in Poland & Finland and thoughts on advantages and disadvantages.
00:12:45 - 00:19:00 A young referee whistling in adult games? How to deal with the conflict,, and heated atmospheres such as #Polish and #Turkish ones
00:19:00 - 00:20:45 Emotion on the court is not necessarily a negative thing - So when to intervene?
00:20:45 - 00:30:00 What it takes to be a FIBA referee, with the additional challenge of living in the Arctic Circle
00:30:40 - 00:39:00 How to remain physically and mentally fit and ready with all that traveling? Tips from Karol
00:39:00 - 00:49:40 How to improve your officiating skills in your downtime? Karol talks about his toolkit, sofa calling, chair attacking, and wild imagination with a concrete example from Korisliiga, the #Finnish top-tier basketball
00:49:40 - 00:55:56 Advice for referees in their early careers and the story of an aspirational mug.