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I'm a multi-sport official also, but I understand completely why MCBear said what he did. My only other sport is softball (though I really don't umpire many games since I still coach my daughter's fast pitch team), but I also was signed up to take the basketball exam. As luck would have it I was too busy at my regular job to be able to take the exam, and I don't regret it at all. I feel fortunate that I only have to worry about learning the rules of two sports right now. If I had to be learning basketball that would be taking time away from me becoming a better volleyball official or softball umpire. Once I have a couple of more years under my belt maybe I'll revisit basketball but for now I'm content.
As TravelinMan stated, I also hope to learn more from experienced officials. Maybe my problem is that while I'm paying my dues working middle school matches, the officials I'm partnered with (I also never know who it is that I'll be working with) are the ones doing it just for the money. I wish I could count how often the only advice I've received is "You should work middle school matches because the pay is almost the same and you get home a lot earlier." Another comment I heard at one of my daughter's volleyball matches when I was being a spectator was an official who only did volleyball so he could get in good with AD's and get assignments for basketball games. I never want to be one of those.
On top of all that, again I say thanks for the advice.
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