- REF SKOOL: Get Better, Get Noticed 🏀
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- REF SKOOL Manifesto 🪶
SKOOL OF THOUGHT
October 1st, 2025. The day I stopped messing around.
I hit record last week…
Not to break down a play or teach a mechanic, but to put something on the line. A promise to myself. And maybe to you too.
For the past year (honestly, longer than that), I've been thinking about what our community really needs. What I REALLY needed when I was coming up. And here's what I keep coming back to:
We're out here grinding alone when we don't have to be.
Camps are expensive.
Good mentors are hard to find.
Quality information that actually helps? Even harder.
And when 60% of officials quit within their first three years (between the abuse, the headlines, the constant criticism) it's not hard to see why.
But here's the thing: for those of us who actually care about this craft, who put in the hours to get better, who want to serve the game the right way, we deserve better than that.
We need community. Real accountability. A place where you can be vulnerable enough to actually improve without worrying about who's watching or judging.
That's what I'm building with REF SKOOL. Not as a solo act, but as a catalyst. This isn't about me knowing everything or being the best ref—I'm still learning every single day. But I do know what it's like to be in the middle of it. And I know there are others like me who'd benefit from being around people who get it.
So this manifesto? It's me planting my flag. From here on out, I'm documenting the real journey: the wins, the mistakes, the behind-the-scenes truth of what it's like inside the stripes. The content I create isn't for casual fans or armchair critics. It's for us. The ones actually doing the work.
If any of this hits home, I hope you'll stick around. Subscribe. Jump into the community. Share your voice. Because REF SKOOL isn't just my vision…it's ours! 🌎
REF SKOOL: Get Better. Get Noticed.
– Marlon
