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Originally Posted by MadCityRef
My first commish once said he feared officials with 3 to 5 years experience because, "they think they know everything, but actually know just enough to get themselves into trouble, and not enough to get themselves out of it."
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That is so true.
I've thought about this topic some the last few days. My experiences are much like the first posters. When I moved to Missouri, I had 4 years of underclass experience with a few varisty games mixed in. I got picked up by an experienced crew, had a pretty good season, and got a playoff game. I don't think we were suppose to get one but we did a good enough job in the regular season to warrant one. Same thing next year, had a good year and got another playoff game, this time a bigger, more important game. The third year, had a good regular season schedule and got the biggest playoff game of the area. This was in my third year as a registered official in the state. Some may frown on this but the guys I worked with had years of experience, state championships under their belts, and two worked D2 college ball. We were a pretty good crew. To top it off, the next week we got another playoff game that year, a semifinal game in the second biggest class. So we had a quarterfinal in the largest class, and a semi in the second largest. My confidence was sky high.
All that came crashing down the next two years. Like the quote above said, you think you know everything at that stage of your career. The next two seasons I didn't get a playoff game because the rating I received from coaches was too poor. In fact, the first year our crew got a playoff game but I was replaced. In MO, we get ratings from coaches and that's a big part in our selection process. So I worked harder, learned the rules better, lost some weight, and did my best to get better with each game. This season our crew worked a state championship game.
I pass this along to reinforce what many have said here. Work hard, improve each week, and don't get discouraged. Many great officials have been burned by envy, jealousy, and being over-zealous. Don't trash or badmouth those that get the games you "think" you should be working. Work harder so you are better prepared for when you get those assignments.
Lastly, there is something to be said for the "old boy network" but it goes both ways. It can help you, but it can also hinder you. Don't run your mouth about so-and-so because it can hold you back because word gets around. On the other hand you want to make sure you are making positive connections with those that can help you learn and advance. An article written by John Bible in Referee magazine last year said that he felt no official is ready to work college ball until they get 10 varsity seasons under their belt. A little harsh maybe, but his point is valid. In fact, I read this article from time to time to remind myself not to get in too big of a hurry. Don't get in a hurry to advance/get the good games. One mistake can cost you.