“Representation matters”: Vince Williams talks about the inaugural CFL Officiating Academy training camp

过去的周末在多伦多，CFL为即将到来的2022赛季举行了训练营，为裁判CFL比赛的联赛官员举行了训练营。这也是就职典礼的参与者参加的第一个训练营CFL’s Officiating Academy,which was announced earlier this month.

哈利法克斯的文斯·威廉姆斯和达特茅斯的安东尼·威廉姆斯是学院的两名参与者。周二，文斯·威廉姆斯（Vince Williams）与审查员谈到了训练营以及学院的参与将如何工作。

“It was an opportunity to have all of us in the same room talking football and learning the professional game from Canada’s best officials from across the country,” said Williams. “The makeup of the field, and the speed of the game, and, you know, what’s at stake. It’s very different.”

“We learned the many nuances of the professional game in regards to the rules, in regards to new rules, in regards to mechanics, positioning, positioning at the line of scrimmage — all of the intricate parts of being a professional official.”

“We were trained on everything a professional football official should know. We had video review, we had exam review, we had coaches come in to give us perspective on our mental health and our wellness.”

The training for the inaugural participants is set to run for at least one year and up to a maximum of two years. Williams said participants will go back to officiating minor and amateur football in their hometowns in order to hone and apply new skills.

Continued involvement in the academy will include having opportunities for participants to attend and assist with officiating in different CFL team training camps, attending and being involved in CFL game day operations on the officiating side, having access to all league communications and memos to current CFL officials, as well as further training opportunities through virtual meetings.

威廉姆斯（Williams）是一名前足球运动员，他曾在哈利法克斯（Halifax）踢过未成年人和高中足球，在美国踢半职位。他说，在他注意到CFL缺乏黑人官员之后，他被鼓励加入比赛。

威廉姆斯目前在高中和大学级别主持足球。他还是大西洋大学体育（AUS）的自由运动广播公司。

威廉姆斯（Williams）在日常工作中，在海狸银行的哈罗德·T·巴雷特（Harold T. Barrett）初中和福尔里弗（Fall River）的洛克维尤高中（Lockview High School）担任非洲新斯科舍省学生支持工作者。在上周末的训练营回来后，威廉姆斯参加了Delmore“ Buddy” Daye学习学院的非洲新星历史挑战奖颁奖典礼，Xavier Paris和Deyonce Gibson-Simmonds是Lockview High School的黑人学生，他们接受了奖项。

威廉姆斯（Williams）就像他作为非洲新星斯科舍省学生支持工作者一样，他希望追求自己的目标成为CFL的官员，这会激发黑人青年。

“I think representation is important but I also think that if I don’t actually earn it then it’s not worth it,” Williams said. “I want to be a positive role model for youth and my community but I also want to show that I earned it and it wasn’t given to me without putting the necessary work in. Therefore, I have a lot of work to do in becoming a professional football official.”

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