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Originally Posted by JRutledge
Larks,
It was great to finally meet you and see you work. Keep in touch with me offline and I am sure I will see you sometime next year at this camp.
I learned a huge lesson by attending this camp. I learned that I was not as good as I thought I was and I was not as bad as I thought I was either. What I mean by that is I realized everyone at the camp could referee. There probably was not a guy there that could not call the game properly. If I was given the shot I could work D1 ball right now. Now some might say that is a bold statement, but that is not what I say, that is what others say about me and the many other officials that were there as well. Just about everyone there not working D1 could probably work a D1 game if they were just given the opportunity. Now that does not mean I could work Texas/Oklahoma State, but I might be able to work Eastern Illinois/Illinois if I worked with the right partners and the right kind of game took place. All we all need is a shot (said by many D1 Evaluators).
Here are some points I observed as well.
1. Everyone was in shape--If you want to attend a camp like this, you better be in shape. Everyone looked like they could run like the wind or they could take you outside and whoop your behind with ease (in many cases, both). No pot bellies, most officials had the "NBA Look." Also a lot of the officials that work were tall.
2. Almost perfect mechanics across the board--The only thing that might have separated guys were minimal differences. No one was teaching mechanics about where to stand and where you were supposed to be. Everyone understood the mechanics; the evaluators were there to fine tune the mechanics and help us stand out.
3. Show personality--We were told at the very beginning that we need to show we could smile on the court. You need to show you could laugh and show that you were having fun. Coaches might not like what you call, but if you can show you are a good guy, they might not make a big deal over a minor thing.
4. COMMUNICATION---This is probably the most important point made the entire camp. You need to know how to communicate to your partners, coaches, players (AND YES) and Fans. If you could not communicate to these people, you will not be a successful official period. You have to be able to tell a coach what happen on a play. You have to be able to talk to your partners or give signals that make it clear what you called and what you need to look for in the game. You need show confidence when you make calls to the public (fans) and not cause total confusion when you make a call. You need to know how to get players on your side or get them to understand what you want to accomplish. THIS WAS THE MOST COMMON AND IMPORTANT POINT MADE THE ENTIRE CAMP BY MANY EVALUATORS AND OFFICIALS!!!!
5. There were about 85 officials at this camp. Eighty-three could work D1 if they just got a shot yesterday. There were very minimal factors that separated the top guy from the last guy. Everyone hustled, everyone had great mechanics. This was not a camp where evaluators had to teach things like "This is the Lead official and this is the Trail official."
6. Ball first, contact second--I only say this because I get ripped apart for saying this. There was a play that a current D1 official was working. There was a hard move to the basket and a defender came behind and made a block against the backboard. There was a little contact with the shooter by the defender but no one falls to the ground. The official called a foul. One of the evaluators asked him about this play he said, "Did he get the ball first or contact came first?" The officials said, "He clearly got the ball first, but he put his knee into the guys side and I thought that was a foul." The evaluator said, "That is a play-though. Unless he knocks him into the 10th row and even then, you have to let that go. He made a block, let the rest go." I say this because the evaluator leaves no where near me, has never met me and works a hefty D1 schedule and has been doing so for over 20 years. I have been ripped time and time again, but at the college level, a clean block you rule the rest incidental contact for the most part.
There are so many other things I could mention, but these were the most important I could think of. Great experience. I learned a lot. I hope to see more from here next year.
Peace
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