Wisconsin Assigning Challenges (First Hand Observations)
 

Those that know me on the forum know that I just completed a move from Virginia to Wisconsin. I am respectfully making the rounds with various conference commissioners, introducing myself, getting court time where able, etc.

Before I moved many on this forum often discussed the variety of assigning systems in different states and areas. As part of this, and with Rich's input, we often talked about Wisconsin's long-term assigning and contracting system.

So now I'm here. When in Rome, you do as the Romans do, so I'm making the best of it. But I must say, I've already noticed a fair amount of disunity. That is to say, there are tons of associations that more or less compete with each other for credibility. Some have assigners, some don't. Some assigners assign for two schools, and some assign for twenty. Some conferences have more than one assigner, i.e. the conference can't agree on a common assigner so the schools choose "their guy." And then of course there's the fact that WIAA requires schools to individually contract games with officials---on paper by snail mail---which forces schedules and assignments to be made months and sometimes years in advance, often outside of Arbiter on a pen-and-paper basis. As a move-in, with the exception of a few metro conferences that are breaking free of long-term assignments and permanent crews, the best I can hope for this year is to be a spot-fill for openings that come up.

It is what it is. But it makes me appreciate so much more the places in America in which assigners and associations work together to fill the games on a more rational real-time basis....with a wide variety of partners....all using Arbiter so that archaic double-bookings do not occur.

I love my home state, but golly gee do we ever assign basketball officials chaotically. It could (and should) be so much better.

Speedy Delivery ...
 

Just sent you a PM...

Billy:

Since Connecticut is an IAABO state, are the games contracted using Arbiter? MichiganHSAA does not require assigners to use Arbiter, but most of them do. And OhioHSAA is requiring all contracts for all games in all sports to by Arbiter starting this school year.

MTD, Sr.

Could be worse, you could be having to go school by school to get games like still exists in my part of Ohio.

I don't have time to write a book on the subject now, but there are plusses and minuses to the system.

All things being relatively equal, I like the system more than when I was in other states -- where I had to join one association and hope that that one assigner liked me enough to assign me games. When I was in such a place in the 90s, I was given my schedule for the first half of the season at the first meeting. Most weeks I worked 2 days....and had no avenue to fill in the other 3 days of the week I wanted to work.

Here I work for about 10-12 different assigners and I'm also an assigner (commissioner) myself -- I have 23 boys programs and 22 girls and I assign the varsity officials for all of them -- it is over 1000 slots a year. I have started a pilot program where one of the associations where I'm a member will assign 6 boys and 6 girls programs using their scheduling criteria with very little guidance from me.

Because I work for so many as an official, if I fall out of favor with one assigner, it creates a minimal (if any) disruption to my schedule. I've averaged over 50 varsity games a year since I moved here in 2002. If I want to work more, I work for more leagues / schools. If I don't, I can scale back and nobody really notices.

The one thing I hate about the mentality in most of Wisconsin is the "crew" mentality. Good officials who don't have "regular partners" are left behind, which is idiotic. I'd love to move to a system where I put individual officials on games, but the crew system is just too strong in my area of the state.

Someday I'll write that book, but it will include chapters on officials and how they can be their own worst enemies.

The Connecticut Compromise ...
 

Connecticut is a 100% IAABO state. All Connecticut high schools must use IAABO officials (there are no other choices). Each of the six local geographic IAABO boards hires an assigner (commissioner) who uses Arbiter to assign all high school games (and many middle school games) in that local geographic area. State tournament games are assigned by the CIAC (Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, the State interscholastic sports governing body), also using Arbiter.

Wisconsin Assigning Challenges (First Hand Observations)
 

I send contracts electronically. Schools don't send contracts -- that's my job as an assigner.

I would never, ever have taken the job if I had to snail mail paper contracts.

We have conference assignors here. Our association membership means almost nothing in us getting assignments and that is the way it should be. I work for most conference assignors I want to work for and those I don't, I am not missing anything. Pretty much the NCAA model of assigning and I love it. The assignors are accountable to their conference, not some political organization where guys can get away with only hiring guys from one association. Also the state assigns all the playoff games, so that puts the onus on the assignors to get people they will see in the tournament.

Again, to each his own.

Peace

It is still like that in most of NW Ohio.

MTD, Sr.

Is that standard practice in your conference or a statewide process?

I was under the impression from an assignor I was talking to the other day that the schools get the assignments from the assignor, and then the schools send out the contracts to the officials. That's how I recall it from the 97-98 season (last time I was here). But perhaps I misunderstood.

Some assigners do it this way. I create our schedules, hire our officials, and send contracts.

I can send contracts on behalf of ADs and I do so when asked to find nonconference officials. Electronically, of course.

I moved to Madison area in 1999. When I left in spring of 2005 I had more contracts for 2006-7 than I had the previous 5 years. It's the hardest place I've been to "break in". Need to go to the right camps to be seen by the right people. Rich can fill you in on all that. I do miss green and the water there but surely not the hustling to find games. The big conferences schedule so far out to get the officials they want that the only chance of getting games was going to association meetings and picking up double booked games.

Harder that NW Ohio?

MTD, Sr.

I had 22 the first year, 40+ the second, and as many as I want since then. I hustled for those, though. Emails to over 100 schools and a dozen commissioners.

Besides, mregor, we're all 3-person here now. Well mostly. I simply don't work anything that isn't.