Quote:
Originally posted by womens_hoops
Obviously, there are great refs on our side too, and the quality is pretty good, etc. etc... but it seems like it's not as good as on the men's side.
|
Is the talent better on the men's or women's side? I think this question is a lot like asking "Who played against tougher competition: Tiger or Jack?" The top 5 or 6 golfers that Jack played against are much better than the top 5 or 6 golfers that Tiger plays against. But from top to bottom, the field today is
much more talented than the group of golfers that Jack played against.
I think this is a pretty good analogy to officiating. I think that at the top, the talent is pretty close to equal on each side. There are probably just as many exceptionally talented women's officials as there are exceptionally talented men's officials. However, from top to bottom, I think there is probably more talent on the men's side.
Quote:
|
I remember someone saying something here awhile ago about how it's much easier to get a job reffing women's college than it is to get a job on the men's side. Is that true?
|
I don't know if it's easier, but I do know that people get accepted to work women's games that I don't think would possibly be able to work even a low-level men's game. And I have heard (although I have no experience to back it up) that a talented official will move up the ranks much quicker on the women's side.
Quote:
|
Is it just considered less prestigious?
|
Yes. No question. Maybe not at the very top levels -- hey, D1 is D1. But at the D3 level, I think it is definitely perceived as less prestigious.
Somebody also mentioned whether it's possible to do both men's and women's, or whether it's possible to cross over from women's to men's. I can't give a definitive answer, but I've had a D1 assignor tell me that if an official works women's games, he can't hire that official to work men's games, b/c he'll get calls from the coaches asking why he sent a women's official to the game. For what it's worth.