Advice

This recently appeared on the Judge of the Week blog in an article featuring exemplar recipients, but I'm sharing it here as a part of my personal journey as well. 

What are some of the best pieces of judging advice you have been given?

When I became a new judge, lots of people offered suggestions and ideas. The best of those tidbits came from my judge mentor Josh McCurley who recommended, "Whatever shoes you wear every day, buy them in black and make them your judge shoes." Well, I have a pair of Clarks that are blue and grey and super comfortable. I wear them with jeans for everyday things like walking, taking my kids to various parks and activities, and pretty much any other time that I need to wear shoes. So I called the Clarks store and was excited to find out that they came in solid black and they had a pair in my size in stock. I picked them up as I was headed out of town for GP Albuquerque and my first day as a certified judge. I have worn those shoes literally every single day that I have judged. And Josh was right, they are super comfortable on my feet, and I am super comfortable in them.

However, Josh's advice extends beyond just shoes. Whoever you are every day, be that person when you're wearing judge blacks. I'm a homemaker. I spend my days managing 5 preschoolers - juggling laundry, bills, PTA meetings, and dance classes while trying to cook dinner and find a child's missing shoe. I'm a certified educator with a background in retail and I've done social media and marketing for a nonprofit. As a judge, that means I'm good at management and logistics with an eye for customer service. Unlike many judges I'm not a programmer or an accountant, and learning the detailed intricacies of the rules of Magic poses more difficulty for me. The important thing to me is understanding who I am and my own personal strengths and weaknesses, both as a judge and as a person. If knowledge is power, then knowing yourself gives you the power to leverage your unique talents into being the most effective judge.