Quote:
Originally Posted by JRutledge
I think the article just glosses over what it takes to be an official. As usual they act like anyone can just roll off the street and do what we do. If someone is retired and wants to officiate and never done it before, that might be a hard transition at that point of your life. It is hard for people that come later in life when they are in their 40s and 50s when their kids have finally left for college or their house for good, let alone what it would be for a retired person at a much older age.
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I know that volleyball officiating isn't the same as basketball officiating, but we've had several of our local basketball officials make a successful move over to volleyball, with little, or no volleyball experience, when they retired from their day jobs.
We've also had some older guys, and gals, take our basketball rules, and mechanics, classes, pass our floor exam, and move on to became successful subvarsity basketball officials.
Retirees, in decent physical shape, can become successful subvarsity basketball officials if they want to put in the effort, and take advantage of the training, over several months, that all of our rookie officials, both young, and old, go through. If they continue to work hard, and take advantage of our mentor program, and other educational programs that we offer (camps, clinics, etc.) they can move up the ladder. How far up the ladder they move when they're in their 60's is another story, especially since, here in my little corner of Connecticut, it takes four years, including the "cadet" year, to get any varsity games, and three more years of a partial varsity schedule until one gets a full varsity schedule, assuming that one's ratings are superior. Many retirees could be dead, or with bodies full of artificial hips, and knees, by then.