Quote:
Originally Posted by SWFLguy
Certainly doesn't give you much faith in the system that selects "trainers" for a sport. You did well to keep your cool and fix things after a nightmarish incident.That's something no "trainer" can teach a sport's official.
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There isn't much to the idea of "trainers" in Michigan. In fact, to be honest, it can be a joke as to who is allowed to become an official in Michigan for most sports. Send in your money, take a test about the MHSAA policies, and get your patch and registration equipment. This applies to all sports except football and basketball. For those sports only, you have to pass an officials exam in the sport as well. All of the tests are open book.
To be selected for a post-season assignment, you must have a certain rating (and number of ratings over 3 years), plus be a member of an approved association in that sport and have reviewed the online rules meeting for that year. To work regional and QF,SF, Final games you must have passed a sport specific exam (open book).
It doesn't take much to become an official up here. Sadly, in many cases, post-season assignments on not how good an official you are, but who you know. For districts, the individual district hosts get to choose the officials from a list of approved officials. Sometimes, if a district host is late to the party so to speak, you get what's left.
As for becoming a trainer. In Michigan we have training done by local approved associations in most sports, not by the MHSAA. This means the local associations decide who is going to be the trainer. Often times this is a well respected official who knows the rules and how to apply them. Sometimes however this is a person who happens to be available to do the job, and may have no clue. The MHSAA requires trainers to attend an onsite meeting once every two years and do an online meeting every non-on site year.
We do have some organizations that do a wonderful job with training officials, then others who are terrible.