Ten years is a lot of time. You can still be terrible after ten years, but it's still a large chunk of time.

Some officials "get it." Others do not get it at all. Ten years does not mean you were good enough to get to a certain level. Heck I know officials that were never good and why they are only working a certain level or get to where they personally wanted to go, like working boys varsity as example.

Peace

Back when I started, people expected to put in 5 or so years at the subvarsity level.

Now people in their first year think they're good enough and wonder what assigners have against them.

As a varsity assigner, there are 25+ year officials I simply WILL NOT USE. I have only had one confront me about it, and it was a very unpleasant experience for me. Didn't change anything, though, as it didn't change the fact that he couldn't run the floor in a 3-person game, even.

Number of years and what the coaches think mean very little to me. My experience seeing coaches ratings (as an assigner) tells me that they have little idea what makes a good official.

This raised my red flag and I suggest you look at how you are presenting the message.

As a manager, when someone is unapproachable, it usually means I have to change the way I am communicating my message. People receive and react to confrontation (and ways it is presented) in different ways. If he was completely unapproachable, he wouldn't be where he is. I suggest doing research to figure out how to best communicate with his personality type and then changing your message to match how he will best receive what you are trying to communicate/ask.

Not me. I ref because it's something I enjoy. Period.

I don't do it for the kids, and I don't do it "for the game."

Even when I did Special Olympics, it was because I found it fun.

I'm always perplexed that many referees have to argue about why people should ref. (Not pointing at you.) Some do it because they love the game and its a way to stay active in it. Some do it because they see it a way to work with kids and help kids. Some want to "give back" to the game. Some do it just because it's fun. Some do it as a less painful way to get exercise. Some do it to have an excuse to get out of the house. Some do it for money. And most, I suspect, do it for some combination of those reasons (and perhaps others I missed).

I don't think it matters a whit what a refs personal motivation is. What matters is the effort and dedication the person brings to doing it well and being a good partner.

(Though I do think that anyone who is not at least partially motivated by "it's fun" is unlikely to stay doing it for very long -- too many downsides to reffing at any level in any sport if it isn't fun.)

Exactly.

Many people are unapproachable when you go at them the wrong way.

Tough crowd here!!
 

As an official, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect an assignor to let you know where you stand. I think that that's what the OP is asking for. Granted, how you go about trying to get that information is important, but it's not an unreasonable expectation.

Different associations have different ways of doing things, different ways of training, and different ways of mentoring. It's important to figure out how the association/assignor do things and adapt to it.

But some responsibility falls on the assignor as well. If an official approaches the assignor asking what he needs to do to improve his schedule, I don't think that's too much to ask. Granted, it may be hard for the official to hear the brutal truth, but if someone really wants to move up, they'll take it to heart and do what's asked.

There is a difference in telling you where you stand and ranking you specifically up against someone else or the group. And if they tell you what they think about you, will you accept the information?

We have a rating system that is statewide that we know what our percentile numbers are listed at. So if you are in the 90 percentile, you are as high as you can go in theory in your ratings. There are people in my state that complain they are not higher and often try to compare themselves against others that they feel they are "better" than. So if they are "better," then they think they should get "better" games an opportunities. Usually this is just about acceptance, not whether it is reality or not.


I know that sounds wonderful, but if you go to a job interview and the company or interviewer tells you that they have 50 candidates and we will call you if you get a second interview or if we hire you, then they don't call or hire you, what is that telling you? That means that they did not pick you over others that were available for the position. They are not going to come back and tell you why they choose other people. At most they might send you a letter thanking you for your time, but they are not going to get into the details. Why as officials do we expect more than any other aspect of life? Also the assignor is telling you what they think of you really by giving you the assignments. So if you want to work varsity and you are only getting JV games, that is your answer.

Peace

A Bold yet Valid Step
 

To the original poster:
PM me and give me a link to some game video of you in action. As a neutral observer I will do you the favor of verifying whether there are things you either do or do not do which influence your assigner's opinion of you.

I don't need you to tell me the reasons I referee. I referee because I love to referee. I don't do it "for the kids" or "to give back to the game." When I start not liking it, I'll quit. And if the kids or the game suffer, not my problem.

We all do this for different reasons and I think more officials do it for the reasons you just stated.

How could you "do it for the kids" when you in many cases never see them again? I have been doing this 20 years and most kids are long gone that I once officiated. I have to have something else draw me or I am going to not enjoy myself.

Peace

There are many that have years of experience and claim to have "35 years", but in reality have "1 year, 35 times". Know where you stand and have a realistic view of yourself. The rest will come.

I'm going to assume, since you're a magician, you didn't actually fall for this. You were trying to prevent the inevitable, SC was forced to bite, haha.

Amen.

Not to knock the ability of the official in the OP but when I look back now at what I was ten years after I became IAABO certified I realize I didn't know crap. I'm 25 years on the HS side and only in the past 5-6 do I feel as though I really started to "get it." That coincided with a sharp increase in the quantity - and quality - of games I receive.

The advice to look inside first as opposed to outside is spot on. I was always a rule book guy (contrary to some of my goofs here [emoji5]) but now I do more. A couple of assignors either suggested or flat out said I needed to lose weight and I've dropped - and kept off - 45+ lbs. since 2013. I study the game more thanks to clips here and watching games at all levels as more of an official instead of a fan. I do not take it for granted that any of my assignors, be they NCAAW or HS, will give me games. My goal is to make it difficult for them *not* to give me games. Once you do that, the level you work and how often you work take care of themselves. Assignors will always default to people who they trust because no one likes agita.

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