Nicky Esposito has proved to be, in my opinion, the friendliest and most skilful referee on the competition scene. He always greets participants in an extremely pleasant and welcoming manner, making them feel at ease and maintains this tone of warmth and respect right up until when they are leaving. This is important of setting the expectations for both parents and competitors. He has the rare combination of being knowledgeable about the game and the rules, but also having an understanding and empathy for people’s emotions. I’ve seen how he deals with children when they get emotional and stressed and; he listens to them, let’s them express their frustrations, as well as talking and explaining, which means he often de-escalates problems and prevents situations from happening.  He has a disarming kindness and uses common sense and emotional intelligence –  very necessary to being a good referee. I’ve observed him at many tournaments and can see what a difference he makes to the experiences of both players and parents at the events he runs and monitors.