Upkeep

Bob
Worrall, who everyone on the piping planet seems to know, made
an interested comment at the recent PPBSO Adjudicators’ Seminar. He remarked that
judges often bemoan the fact that young players are infrequently
seen at the major competitions, but those same carping judges
rarely even more infrequently attend events that they’re not
involved with themselves.

I never thought of that before. It’s clear that today’s competitors
expect judges to practice professional development. Most
associations put on seminars for their accredited judges, and many
are fully expecting, if not requiring, their judges to attend them
in order to maintain their good standing on the active panel. But I
agree with Bob’s point that a good way for judges to stay current
is to frequent competitions and recitals in a non-judging or
non-playing capacity.

During the crushingly boring incessant tuning by some players at the
Livingstone Invitational last Saturday, I made
note of how many accredited judges were in the crowd. The number
was very small, and those who were there were those who usually
attend events.

I don’t know. If I were a competitor I might be even more troubled
by the lack of interest shown by judges than judges are concerned
about the apathy of young players.