Association/Board Issues

[The_Rookie]

Been approached to run for a seat on my local association board.

What are the top 3 issues that your local board/association is currently facing?

Thanks!

[jTheUmp]

If I had to guess:
1) recruiting new officials
2) retaining new officials
3) actually getting officials to confirm their assignments with the schools 3-4 days before the game (this comes up at EVERY meeting).

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by jTheUmp

If I had to guess:
1) recruiting new officials
2) retaining new officials
3) actually getting officials to confirm their assignments with the schools 3-4 days before the game (this comes up at EVERY meeting).

Agree on #1 and #2.

We don't do #3 at all. It really isn't necessary.

Before the season, the schools confirm the accuracy of the games as entered in Reftown, much like officials accepting assignments. A few days before the game, the schools get automated reminders of upcoming games. If something has changed, it is up to them to notify the assignor of the change. If they don't and the officials show up anyway, the school still pays for the game and the officials still get paid. Out of thousands of games per year, it is extremely rare that an official shows up to a game that isn't there. More likely, the schools forgot to notify the assignor that a game was added.

[jTheUmp]

It may not be necessary in your opinion, but the opinion of the Powers That Be(tm) in my association is that it is necessary. Therefore, I follow the direction of the Powers That Be(tm).

[BillyMac]

My local board uses Arbiter to assign games, but our assignment commissioner still insists that we confirm all of our games with our partner, and the school.

I my case, I don't mind confirming because I don't get a cell phone signal at work, nor do I get email at work, so I make sure, in my confirmation email, that the athletic director knows exactly how to get in touch with me if there is a change in the game assignment.

Several times, over the past several years, I've received emails from athletic directors, in response to my confirmation email, that read something like, "Thanks for the confirmation email. It reminded me that I haven't contacted your assigner, or the officials, that the game time got changed to ...".



February 1, 2015

BillyMac
30 Main Street
Springfield, CT 06999
Home Phone (860) 000-0000
Cell Phone (860) 999-9999 (No Signal During Business Hours)
Email: [email protected]

Environmental Chemical Analyst
Acme Environmental Laboratories, Inc.
587 East Main Street
Springfield, CT 06999
Business Phone (860) 888-8888 (Ask For BillyMac)

This is to confirm that I will officiate the boys varsity basketball game at East Oshkosh High School
on Wednesday, February 11, 2015, at 7:00 p.m.

Please contact me if there is any change in the schedule. My contact information is above.
During weekday business hours, it is best to reach me at (860) 888-8888. I do not have access
to the internet, nor to email, nor do I get a cell phone signal, at work.

Sincerely,

BillyMac
International Association of Approved Basketball Officials
Little Corner of Connecticut Board

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

My local board uses Arbiter to assign games, but our assignment commissioner still insists that we confirm all of our games with our partner, and the school.
...

That should be standard procedure no matter what type of assignment system is being used.

[Freddy]

When in Nome, be sure to do what the Nomans do.
Here the Referee is expected to confirm first with the crew, and then confirm the crew to the AD -- email preferred, but cellphone call for any iLuddites in our midst. We are cautioned not to pummel the AD's with unnecessary emails, so we are told to do it like that and in that order. He only gets one--from the Referee.
Works great. Catches occasional errors or oversights that otherwise would've gone unchecked without that system. When guys don't do it, bad things happen. Enough so that we're probably gonna be sticking with this modus operandi.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

That should be standard procedure no matter what type of assignment system is being used.

Not according to Camron Rust.

Originally Posted by jTheUmp

3) actually getting officials to confirm their assignments with the schools 3-4 days before the game (this comes up at EVERY meeting).

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

We don't do #3 at all. It really isn't necessary. Before the season, the schools confirm the accuracy of the games as entered in Reftown, much like officials accepting assignments. A few days before the game, the schools get automated reminders of upcoming games. If something has changed, it is up to them to notify the assignor of the change. If they don't and the officials show up anyway, the school still pays for the game and the officials still get paid. Out of thousands of games per year, it is extremely rare that an official shows up to a game that isn't there. More likely, the schools forgot to notify the assignor that a game was added.

Back, in the twentieth century, when assigning was done with land line phone calls, and the United States Postal Service, we occasionally had too many officials, or no officials, showing up at games that may, or may not, have been properly scheduled. Back then, in the olden days, it was imperative that officials confirmed games by the United States Postal Service, or by land line phone calls, to prevent mistakes.

Now that we've moved to computerized assigning, and email contacts, there is a far less likely chance for a mistake to be made, but sometimes human error will rear it's ugly head, and that's why it's important that officials still confirm their games.

I spend about fifteen minutes, every Sunday, sending emails to confirm games with athletic directors, and partners, for games coming up that week. I feel that it's time well spent.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Not according to Camron Rust.





Back, in the twentieth century, when assigning was done with land line phone calls, and the United States Postal Service, we occasionally had too many officials, or no officials, showing up at games that may, or may not, have been properly scheduled. Back then, in the olden days, it was imperative that officials confirmed games by the United States Postal Service, or by land line phone calls, to prevent mistakes.

Now that we've moved to computerized assigning, and email contacts, there is a far less likely chance for a mistake to be made, but sometimes human error will rear it's ugly head, and that's why it's important that officials still confirm their games.

I spend about fifteen minutes, every Sunday, sending emails to confirm games with athletic directors, and partners, for games coming up that week. I feel that it's time well spent.

I have been part of a situation where a college game, requiring significant travel, was double booked. Each school's assignor thought they were responsible for covering the game. We only found out because my crew chief called the school to confirm 24 hours prior. The non-working crew was still paid for the game.

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[BktBallRef]

I've been working basketball in my local association since 1998.

Never once have I ever contacted a school to "confirm" an assignment. Not once has there ever been a problem because I didn't do this.

Schools receive the assignments through the Arbiter, just like I do. If they've changed the schedule or haven't included a game on their schedule, it's on them to contact the supervisor.

If they don't and we show up, they are obligated by the NCHSAA to pay a full game fee.

Yes, we contact our partners to confirm uniform and travel.

When in Rome.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

I've been working basketball in my local association since 1998.

Never once have I ever contacted a school to "confirm" an assignment.

I don't confirm assignments with high schools, but I do check their web site to make sure my info matches. There have been a couple times I've had to call my assignor to make sure everything was kosher.

Also, the only time I've been in a car accident while traveling to a game, after leaving the accident and getting to the game site, it turned out there was a scheduling snafu and there was no game.

So yes, in a perfect world, we should trust no one fat fingered anything, but in reality things go wrong. And I sure would have preferred knowing ahead of time I didn't need to travel to that school instead of getting into an accident travelling somewhere I didn't need to be. My little $40 check for a not working a game didn't make up for the $200 deductible I had to pay.

BTW, I've worked in I.T. my entire adult life, I am intimately aware of how data is only good as the fingers that input it.

[constable]

It would seem a lot of these issues are communication issues caused by school AD's assigning officials directly. Would having a board assignor dole out the games not make things easier?

I know I only deal with an AD when I show up and don't know where my dressing room is or I need a fan removed. All of my games come from one guy who has to deal with the leagues/covneners/ AD's

That seems more logical, to me.

[JetMetFan]

Originally Posted by The_Rookie

Been approached to run for a seat on my local association board.

What are the top 3 issues that your local board/association is currently facing?

Thanks!

In the NYC publics we hear a lot about arriving on time (30 minutes before game time). I shoot for 45. I'm happy if most of my partners are there between 20-25 minutes before scheduled tip.

Each of the past two seasons I've had a partner arrive at least 15 minutes after the scheduled start time of a BV playoff. One guy got hung up in traffic. The other is chronically late so I never assumed he would show up on time.

[ODog]

Originally Posted by The_Rookie

What are the top 3 issues that your local board/association is currently facing?

Definitely agree on retraining/continuing education.

Another is complaints on what assignments officials get and who gets what assignments. Therefore, our board is in the very early stages of trying to implement a ratings system.

If/when that becomes a reality, the ratings will be Top Issues #1, 2 and 3, I'm sure!

[SC Official]

The statewide ratings system. We spend half of our meeting time b*tching about it. Just beating a dead horse.

Losing younger officials to college.

Not getting enough younger officials.