[Back In The Saddle]

Probably not an exageration. Only getting a very few games was one of the most disappointing things my first season. But there are some things you can do.

The first is to stick with it. If you're any good, the second year you'll have more, and even more the third. Decide right now that you're in this for the long haul, that you will "pay your dues," and it'll be easier to have patience.

The second is to get seen by the right people. Assigners will give games to a mediocre official that they do know before they give anything to an official they don't know. So find out who needs to see you to "get on the list" and do what you can to make sure they do.

Third, be available. My first year my assigner was always on IM during the day. I'd check in with him a couple of times a week to see if he needed somebody. I'd keep my bag packed and in the car so I could go anywhere at a moments notice. Other assigners work differently, but if he knows you can and will cover him on short notice, you'll get some games.

The details of how to do all this successfully where you work will be different than they were for me. So find an official in your area who you can talk to about how it works there. But those three basic principles — be patient, get seen, be available — are pretty universal.