Kim Hernandez, TX Official: A Woman's Role Model
Kim Hernandez / Texas
Official Interview: Never Stop Learning
1. How and when did you decide to become an official? What is your view of an official’s role and responsibility as it relates to your interaction with the athletes, coaches, and spectators?
a. I decided to become an official in 2017. I wrestled in high school; since graduating in 2004, I had not stayed involved in the wrestling community. However, in 2017 I was recruited to officiate high school football. I enjoyed it and thought: “I never played football in high school and was able to officiate. I wrestled in high school so I should give officiating wrestling a shot.”
b. As an official, my role is to be professional on and off the mat. As a female official, I’d like to be a role model for the young ladies who are growing in the sport and let them know that there are ways to stay involved in wrestling, whether it is coaching or officiating. My responsibility is to prioritize the safety of the wrestlers. Wrestling is one of the most physical sports out there. Serious injuries can occur if we do not prioritize safety.
2. What’s most important in your mind for an official of youth sports? What are his or her most important areas of responsibility?
a. Education. In youth sports, many of the kids are learning. It is important that we have interactions that promote good sportsmanship and educate the young ones on what they did wrong so they learn. As a youth wrestler, their area of responsibility is to be professional to the adults, demonstrate good sportsmanship (it’s good to be humble), and absorb all the feedback/teaching points.
3. What do you value about doing RMN Events? What makes an RMN tournament unique and special? Why would you recommend RMN to other officials seeking to grow in knowledge and experience?
a. I value the mat time I get when I encounter different styles of wrestling. RMN gives me the opportunity and trust to work higher caliber matches. The opportunities I get to network with officials from other states and get feedback to improve my mechanics and application of the rules is sconed to none.
b. RMN events are unique because of the various locations that events are held. Changing locations gets wrestlers the opportunity to travel or stay close. Another unique/exciting feature of RMN is the opening show before the matches begin. It hypes up the kids, parents, coaches and officials.
c. I would recommend RMN Events to those officials who are not looking to make a quick buck, but those who are interested in learning and growing as an official. Those who have tenure and experience also can use this opportunity to share their knowledge and help develop those officials with potential for the future.
4. How do you mesh your various careers and responsibilities with the schedule and demands of being a national caliber official? What aspects of your roles outside of wrestling do you bring to your job as an official?
a. I am fortunate to have a flexible work schedule that allows me to take time off for events as needed. Without this support from my leadership, it would be much more difficult to make some of the assigned events.
b. I work in Sales, interacting with business professionals on a daily basis. I think this translates into officiating with exhibiting high professionalism as well as being able to “sell” your calls.
c. I was in the Marines from 2004-2008. This experience most certainly prepared me to officiate. It’s important to have thick skin, be able to deescalate tense situations, and understand the dynamics involved when working in a male-dominated environment.
5. What changes would you suggest for wrestling in terms of rules and protocol in order to best protect the athletes and grow the sport? In your mind, what are the most important rule changes and emphases that have helped keep wrestling safe as well as exciting?
a. I would like to see some (not all) of the college rules applied when discussing in/out of bounds situations. The longer we can keep the action going without having to stop the clock, the better.
6. What you have learned about yourself, the sport, and the athletes/coaches. Personalize this experience for your readers, so they can see it through your eyes.
a. Officiating has taught me to step outside of my comfort zone. I’ve officiated other sports before. In a “crew” environment, you have other officials to help back up a call. In wrestling not so much. We use assistant officials when possible but the majority of the time it’s just me. It was very uncomfortable at first. It hasn’t happened very often, but I have heard comments that “women should officiate women’s matches only” or that I am “good for a female official.” I don’t want to be good “for a female”; I want to be a good official regardless of gender. I don’t want to call just girls, just boys, or just kids. I want to call ALL matches of ALL levels.
7. Which aspects have made officiating as a female an advantage?
a. An advantage to being a female is that it has given me an opportunity to promote women in wrestling. There are ways to stay involved in the sport that don’t involve competing. Coaching is a great way to stay involved, but it can also be time-consuming throughout the entire year. Officiating gives me the opportunity to be a role model for the next generation of female officials, while staying involved in the sport and officiating as my work and personal schedule allows.
b. In what situations might a female official be preferred?
i. To promote the sport, a female official may be preferred when there are situations that some male officials may feel uncomfortable addressing. For example, helping out when a female is not wearing suitable undergarments or when feminine health issues arise.
c. Recommendations for female officials on how to be successful and remain focused despite others who may be less supportive.
i. Find a mentor. There are many seasoned officials out there who are willing to share their wealth of knowledge. Ask questions and never stop learning.
ii. Take the negativity like a grain of salt.
iii. Be humble. While it is important to be firm, it is just as important to be approachable.
iv. Do not expect preferential treatment. We are officials. Not female officials or not male officials. When asked to work, work hard and leave no doubt in anyone’s mind that you are qualified.
d. Why is it important for wrestling to have female representation at all levels of the sport?
i. It is important to have female representation at all levels of the sport to promote sports (of any kind) to the youth. Children emulate what they see. If they see female representation in all sports, it encourages them to participate in and maybe down the road explore the officiating route. In addition, it is important to have women in leadership roles within organizations. As the President for my local chapter, we have increased our count for female officials, helping women empower each other.
8. What is your background in the sport of wrestling? How does being an official augment and relate to your other experiences in the sport? What lessons did the sport teach you that you would like to impart to the athletes you now officiate?
a. Wrestled in Texas high school competition as a sophomore, junior and senior. I qualified for state 2X: runner-up my junior year and medically DQ senior year to finish 4th.
b. Wrestling is one of the few sports that is individual and team. If you lose a match, can’t blame your teammates, but if you lose or don’t pin a kid it could impact the team score in a dual/tournament. Wrestling is for everyone, regardless of gender, height, weight – there is a spot for you on the team.
9. As you travel the country, what differences do you observe in technique and emphasis from state to state?
a. The way some states interpret the rules vary from coaches and officials.
b. For the wrestlers, in the Midwest you see some whizzers that are so deep that there’s no option but to call in potentially dangerous in order to protect a shoulder. In the West, you have a lot of scramble situations were you just need to let the situation settle.
10. What experiences and opportunities would you recommend to an official seeking to develop his or her mastery of officiating?
a. READ THE RULES … if you know the rules and are called to the table. After assessing the situation, give a clarification on a call that is by the rule. The coaches will know you understand the rules and are applying them as you saw the situation
b. ADMIT when you are wrong. We are not perfect, and we make mistakes. Owning up to your mistake won’t fix the situation. Learn from it and on. If you find yourself that you made the wrong call, don’t have an ego. Change the call to get it right. It is one thing to do for the wrestlers and for your integrity.
c. Seek feedback and apply it, not just from officials but from coaches as well.
11. How does an official maintain a positive perspective in the face of criticism or those who question their fairness and knowledge? What have you found to be most effective in creating a positive perception of your role as an official?
a. At the end of the day, I find relief knowing that I called the matches to the best of my ability without bias and applying the rules based on the situation on the mat. Knowing the rules, staying professional and being transparent are key. Building rapport with fellow officials and coaches has been fundamental in the positive perception in my role as an official.
12. What are some common teaching areas which you emphasize with less experienced refs?
a. Call what you see. Kids, coaches or parents may try to shout things that they see, but unless YOU see it, don’t call it. Many times the kids, coaches, or parents don’t know the rules and are baiting you to make a call that may not be there.
b. Stick with it. You will notice the improvements event after event.
13. An official is seen as an enforcer of the rules. With RMN Events, we also stress that an official is an educator helping teach athletes and coaches how best to approach the sport with effort, sportsmanship, and appropriate demeanor.
14. Share a few of your most rewarding experiences as an official in your work with the athletes, coaches, tournaments, and venues across the country. What made these special for you?
a. I love seeing the kids mature in their wrestling and as young adults. They are the future NCAA champs, All-Americans, Coaches and Officials. It is very rewarding and heart-warming to see all the hard work pay off. Humility is taught at such an early age through wins and losses. It is also very enlightening to see how they bounce back after a tough loss – hang on there for more.