Cranbrook Eagles coach, Tom White is in Montreal officiating qualifying matches for the Pan American games.
“I am at the first qualifier for the Olympics and the Pan Am Games qualifiers, so down here doing some officiating,” said White.
He said it’s not just the boxers getting judged.
“You’re evaluated, judged and scored every match you officiate. Basically the better you do the higher the score and that’s what gets you invited to the higher level competitions.”
There’s a lot of pressure to make sure you are making the right calls.
“People don’t realize that even a club show could mean what a world championship means to somebody else,” White added.
“It’s very important to make sure that you’re on your game. Every fight matters to every fighter. With that mindset going in, you have to make the right calls and it’s very high pressure. I feel more pressure being an official than I ever did as a fighter.”
He said being a fighter also helps with officiating and making sure boxers are safe.
“It’s a huge help. If you have that background and that experience you’re watching for the little wobbles in the knees and things like that,” he said.
“If you didn’t have the experience of being in there yourself, you may not recognize those little triggers.”
The qualifiers run until June 23.