Rut,
If living in a world where a ref doesn't get held back from progressing in the boys games just because they enjoy doing girls games is fantasy, then I live in a fantasy world. Around here, assignors don't punish someone for choosing to do both. The top refs do both and the assignors work with their schedules to make sure that the top boys
and girls games get covered by the best refs available.....period. Many of us give every other Friday night to the boys association and every other Friday night to the girls association. I guess we're just more enlightened around here than in your area. I guess the "good old boys network" seems to take longer to get past in some places.
Preventing someone from doing boys games because they can't handle the speed is one thing. I have no problem with that and that is what a ratings system is for. Preventing them from doing them because they also do girls games (or because they want to go farther in girls whatever that meant) is discriminatory....and stupid. If your assignors are that short-sighted, maybe your area should think about getting assignors that are a little more forward thinking. Do they know that not only do women vote, but a women's vote counts equally to a mans?
My personal experience has been that doing boys games makes me a better girls ref and doing girls games makes me a better boys ref. There are things that happen often in a girls game that rarely happen in a boys game. On those rare times when it does occur in a boys game, it doesn't surprise me.
Sincerely,
Z
Fantasy, U.S.A.