What is up with AZ?

deecee · #1 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 09, 2016, 12:01pm

I wouldn't want to reduce my per game fee. We aren't paid enough for what is expected and I'm damn sure not going to take a cut so that the schools can get a "better" product. That's ass backwards.

So it's ok to do more games for less money??? That's also ass backwards. The point in life is to get better, make more, and work less. Not make less, work more.

I would stop officiating if that choice was presented to me. This doesn't pay my bills or allow me to live the lifestyle I want. It's a hobby, that takes quite a bit of time and effort for at least 3 months a year.

Raymond · #2 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 09, 2016, 01:17pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by deecee

I wouldn't want to reduce my per game fee. We aren't paid enough for what is expected and I'm damn sure not going to take a cut so that the schools can get a "better" product. That's ass backwards.

So it's ok to do more games for less money??? That's also ass backwards. The point in life is to get better, make more, and work less. Not make less, work more.

I would stop officiating if that choice was presented to me. This doesn't pay my bills or allow me to live the lifestyle I want. It's a hobby, that takes quite a bit of time and effort for at least 3 months a year.

7 years ago a HS conference we worked was payning $75/official for 3-man BV and 2-man GV. We elected a new commissioner and the following season the body of the association agreed to take a $12.50/game cut for BV & GV so that we could get a 3rd official on the court for GV. So we went from $75/game to $62.50/game, but we thought the pay cut was worth getting five extra varsity slots every Tuesday and Friday.

Personally, I would rather work 3-man at a lower rate than 2-man at a higher rate.

deecee · #3 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 09, 2016, 01:47pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

7 years ago a HS conference we worked was payning $75/official for 3-man BV and 2-man GV. We elected a new commissioner and the following season the body of the association agreed to take a $12.50/game cut for BV & GV so that we could get a 3rd official on the court for GV. So we went from $75/game to $62.50/game, but we thought the pay cut was worth getting five extra varsity slots every Tuesday and Friday.

Personally, I would rather 3-man at a lower rate than 2-man at a higher rate.

Why would you want to work more for less money? Im just curious.

Rich · #4 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 09, 2016, 01:59pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by deecee

Why would you want to work more for less money? Im just curious.

Why would you prefer working 2-man for an extra $12.50?

deecee · #5 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 09, 2016, 04:12pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich

Why would you prefer working 2-man for an extra $12.50?

Because I value my time, even though I think we are already underpaid.

Lets say you did 20 2 man games - That would mean for those 20 games you made $250 less. However you work an extra 5 games so you make $312.50 for those new games. Your net increase is $62.50. I calculate each game at 2 hours of work. So for those 10 hours your marginal hourly rate is $6.25, if that's fine with you then OK, it's not fine with me.

When I started in 3 man I would volunteer in summer games and some lower level HS games where the coaches were ok with it (3 veterans would essentially split a frosh/soph double header and work 3 man). So I put my work in.

I would also say that in general HS officials are "ok" as a group. Adding a third person to a game simply to add one when the average official is just "ok" isn't really adding much value to the game. Maybe its different where you are but if the schools can't afford to pay a fair rate for that third official then they should pay what they can afford for the best product, which would be 2-man.

It's not ideal, I do enjoy officiating, but I expect to get paid a reasonable amount. At the end of the year I would say financially I break even, which to me is A-OK.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

More members working, a happier constituency.

Unfortunately it's not my job to make sure everyone is happy. Heck in every association I have been in 90-95% of the guys think they are varsity officials. I also understand there are only so many slices of the pie and I am fine with it. If you want to work 40-50 HS games good for you, I'm happy with my 20 or so HS games and 10 or so college games. If I get more great, if I get a few less I'm fine with it. In the end this doesn't pay my bills.

If officiating is your primary source of income that's fine, but I know the hustle it takes between multiple sports for that to work. That's primarily not my concern.

Raymond · #6 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 09, 2016, 05:19pm

Quote:

Unfortunately it's not my job to make sure everyone is happy. Heck in every association I have been in 90-95% of the guys think they are varsity officials. I also understand there are only so many slices of the pie and I am fine with it. If you want to work 40-50 HS games good for you, I'm happy with my 20 or so HS games and 10 or so college games. If I get more great, if I get a few less I'm fine with it. In the end this doesn't pay my bills.

If officiating is your primary source of income that's fine, but I know the hustle it takes between multiple sports for that to work. That's primarily not my concern.

Even though you went way off into left field with the subject matter I'll still respond. I worked 38 high school games last year and 27 college games (most ever for me). The most high school games I've ever worked was maybe 45 and that's being generous. I've never worked a whole bunch of games during the week because I started off as a single parent doing this.

Your last comment about officiating not paying your bills is counterintuitive to your point about you needing every single dollar that you can get when you officiate.

We as a body decided we would rather have more officials working. It worked for us as a group, and we were not really concerned that the it might bother some Anonymous dude on the internet.

Not sure where all the clutter came from about this being a full-time gig, or paying all my bills, or not being my job to make somebody else happy. Had absolutely nothing to do with the quote or the context of this conversation. I have a full-time job and already have a pension for life.

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deecee · #7 (**permalink**) Sat Sep 10, 2016, 07:06am

My point was, that I don't want to take a pay cut to do something I already don't think we are paid enough, to simply get more guys varsity games. Either pay a fair rate for the job or go with what you can afford.

BktBallRef · #8 (**permalink**) Sat Sep 10, 2016, 11:53am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich

Why would you prefer working 2-man for an extra $12.50?

Tou - fricking - 'che!!!

3 man is much easier on the body. I would gladly take a #12.50 pay cut to get a third official on the floor.

We have 2 man for JV games here and it pays more than JV 3 man. I can't imagine any situation where the individual game fee for 3 man would be the same as it is for 2 man.

Raymond · #9 (**permalink**) Fri Sep 09, 2016, 03:05pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by deecee

Why would you want to work more for less money? Im just curious.

More members working, a happier constituency. That's 5 officials working a varsity game twice a week instead of a JV game, which means 5 more officials working a JV game instead of a middle school game, and 5 officials who would not have been working anything at all now working a middle school game.

Personal sacrifice for the good of the whole is how I guess I would describe it. I was already working an all Boys varsity schedule, so I definitely garnered no personal financial gain. But if the goal is to get as much 3-man as possible, then some sacrifices are going to have to be made by officials as well as schools. It can't all just be on the schools to find every cent.