[MCBear]

TravelinMan, like you and Andy, I started out as a basketball official many years ago. After the end of my first season, I decided to umpire high school baseball and fast-pitch softball. The next fall, I was trying to decide whether to officiate football or to officiate volleyball when I remembered what it felt like to be on the football sideline at the end of October/beginning of November in NorthWest Ohio. That made up my mind for me and I decided to go into the gym with the girls and officiate volleyball.

With that being said, I had watched my oldest daughter play junior high volleyball the previous year, so I at least had an idea what the game was about. However, of all the sports that I officiated, I liked volleyball the least because it was the most difficult one for me to do since everything depended on judgment and what was visually seen to occur on every play.

It took me three years to finally recognize my first back-row attack and to be aware of seeing the player come out of the back-row. And, at that time, I had no idea how I done it and how to be able to do it again!!!!

Fortunately, I kept with it and got more comfortable with seeing what was happening during the match plus I had the extra bonus of having excellent officials and outstanding coaches to work with in the District 7 Volleyball Officials Association in Archbold, OH.

As PaRef said, learn the correct signals and make every effort to use them properly - after all, they are the only way that we have of communicating to the coaches, the players and the fans what we are calling. In addition, make every effort to attend some high school and college matches to become familiar with the game and to see how different officials call the sport.

As my fellow official, Felix Madera reminds us - "volleyball is an easy sport to officiate unless you want to do it well!"

Good luck!