[drothamel]

RefTN-

Slow your roll, playa!

While I understand your point, and while I can understand your perspective (I, too, am a relatively young one at 24), your post smacks of a bit of condescension.

I have always been of the opinion that there are dues to be paid, especially in this business. A lot of the recruitment in officiating is done on the basis of potential. Being part of a good system, having great mentors, etc. only builds potential. Potential is not a replacement for experience. I have a tremendous amount of confidence in my abilities as an official. I also understand that I can't have it all at once, nor should I, no matter how good I think I am. There are a certain amount of dues that must be paid before premotion up the ladder.

I approach it this way: I officiate varsity HS ball right now, and I would like to move up to officiating college in the near future. In order for that to happen, I need to make sure that I am the best HS official I can be. Once that happens, the transition to college will be much easier. I have seen an official or two that have gotten their shot a bit too early, and weren't able to live up to their potential. I don't want that to be me.

Are there exceptions, of course, there are always exceptions. Zach Zarba is a good example of that. There are also countless number of officials whose names are unknown to us, mostly because they had all the potential in the world, but not the experience to know how to use it.

I would also urge everyone to get as much exposure to as many officiating philosophies as possible. While the SEC may be the fast track today, it could be the road to nowhere in a few years. You just never know. Look at the ACC, now that Cloughterty is in charge, there are going to be some major changes coming in that conference. There are going to be some guys who won't be able to adjust, and those guys are going to be in trouble. I guess all I'm saying is, don't put all those eggs in one basket. From what I've seen, this business is far too fickle for that.

RefTN-

If the things you have been doing, and the people you have been meeting are working well for you, and helping you acheive your goals, congratulations! All I'm saying is be careful what you wish for, and definitely be careful about the mannner in which you share those wishes with others.