Carolina Gloves Never Disappoints

I am always excited when the Carolina Gloves 3-day tournament comes around.  It brings together some of the best fighters from North Carolina and surrounding areas in really good matchups.  I get to see coaches I know and don't see very often with their fighters.  Since it is a big tournament, there are two rings and additional officials from outside LBCs are brought in to help.  This year we were fortunate to have officials from Washington D.C. and Georgia come to support us and what a world of wisdom and experience they brought us during this tournament.  I felt really blessed.  I got so much good feedback on my officiating and appreciated how helpful and knowledgeable all the officials were.  Marshall, our ring captain, has been officiating for 40 years!  He is so passionate and committed that we as officials get it right.  The boxers deserve to have focused and fair officials and that is something I am also deeply committed to...improving my practice and doing my best by the boxers.

LaTasha Washington was another experienced official who blew me away with her skills and knowledge.  I got to watch her referee all weekend and her calm, assertive style is one that I hope to emulate.  She reminded me to slow down and stay calm.  She's been officiating for 13 years and also officiates on the international level and I can see why.  There are so many subtle things she does that take it to another level.  We also got to pick her brain over dinner and I felt my knowledge of what I need to do grew significantly.  It was a little intimidating refereeing in front of this dynamic crew of officials, but the lessons learned were many..

The finals on Sunday afternoon were packed with top notch close fights.  It's those types of fights where good officiating is key.  They can be so close and if you lose your focus, you might not get it right.  One of the favorite fights that I refereed during the Carolina Gloves was between two 119 lb. intermediate fighters.  They were both really talented and each had their moments.  It was a clean fight and ended in a split decision, but both fighters should be really proud.  They demonstrated excellent skill and poise and I only had to make a few minor calls.  

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At the end of the tournament, my brain was fried from the intensity of the matches and my focus on them, but I can't express how grateful I am for the camaraderie and mentorship I receive every time I participate in an amateur event.  Elouise Joseph, our Chief of Officials, who is a top 10 official in the U.S. and who I consider to be my greatest mentor, came up to me at the end of the competition and told me how proud she was of my growth as an official over the past year.   What can I say?  It meant the world to me.