Quote:
Originally posted by JRutledge
Why do assignors make that big of a distiction between a freshman game and a JV game? What is really the difference? Anything that is not varsity is pretty much on the same level. Why would a first year guy not be able to do a JV game? I did JV games my first year and worked with other first years officials during those game. I do not understand why (it seems like a regional thing) officals that start out are regulated to just freshman games, it just does not make much sense to me.
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The other night I had a game that was scheduled to be a Frsh Girls game. The visiting school said they did not have a freshman program and that they combined any freshmen they had with their JV squad. The hosts agreed to play their freshmen gainst the visiting JV. The host team got WHACKED. Granted there are blowouts even when teams are suposedly evenly matched (one team better coached etc.) but the athletic ability in kids is tremendously different between 14-15yr olds and 16-17yr olds.
Personally I think the game gets easier to officiate when you have: 1. better athletes or 2. kids that have been under a good coach for a couple of years. I think what the assigner is looking at is letting the new official gain experience. When it comes to a rookie officiating these games, there is a lot less presure on an official in a freshman game. It is expected that the kids are still learning the game and by the same token you can say the official is still learning. This may be regional, but, you take a rookie offical here in Orlando and drop them into a 6A-JV Metro Conference game with 500 people in the stands, and it puts undo pressure on the rook to get-it-right-or-die.
I have done JV games this year and was the -R- at one game (we were both first year officials). I did the first half of a JV game the other night before my 14yr vet partner showed up. There is no way I would have been able to do this had I not first gained confidence by working some "easy" games and thanks to some good veteran guys that took time to mentor early in the season.
Star 'em out slow and let them work their way up as they gain experience and confidence.