For more than an hour, Cheffers engaged the crowded gymnasium through football clips, a variety of entertaining stories, as well as a lively question and answers session.  Questions ranged from “How old are you?”, “Do you have a favorite team?”, “What is your schedule when you are refereeing a game?”, and “How did you first get started in your career?”.  But the most poignant question of the day was, “When you make a bad or incorrect call, how do you deal with that inside?”

Cheffers immediately began sharing about the three E’s; Excellence, Empowerment, and Enthusiasm.  In life and in refereeing, his goal is not perfection but excellence.  Focusing on perfection can lead to unobtainable goals, but focusing on excellence always leads to success.  Empowerment allows every member of the “officiating” team to have a voice and gives each one the responsibility to make every game the best it can be.

 

Cheffers concluded his time by sharing, “enjoy what you do, wear your smile proudly, and always keep your passion alive…this is the key to enthusiasm and enthusiasm will always help to make you a winner.”

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The Boys & Girls Club of Whittier’s Professional Series provides an opportunity for Club members to have access to and learn from our community’s leading professionals.  The Boys & Girls Club of Whittier provides year round programs for youth ages 7 to 18 in the areas of Education & Career Development; Character & Leadership; Health & Life Skills; Sports, Fitness & Recreation; and Visual & Performing Arts.  The Club offers young people what they need most: a safe environment where they can have fun and be themselves; and interesting, constructive activities that channel youthful energy into challenging pursuits.