Recruiting

[Rich]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I should have stated that this often took place when 3 person was coming in. My first varsity game was a 3 person game. The next season many of the games were 3 person, but not all. By my third year, almost every game was 3 person at the varsity level.

Peace

We're seeing that here, too. Within the last 3 years we've gone from 15% 3-person to about 95% 3-person -- to the point where I'm confident I won't work another 2-person game the rest of my career (I'm not counting summer games or youth games, which I work once or twice a year) unless I fill in at a lower level.

[Rich]

Still, there's a middle ground.

Young officials think the old guys should step aside. Old guys think the young guys should wait their turn.

Neither position is right.

[Kansas Ref]

Originally Posted by Rich

Still, there's a middle ground.

Young officials think the old guys should step aside. Old guys think the young guys should wait their turn.

Neither position is right.

*So, given that you yourself are very familiar with both the "assigning" tasks and the evaluation of an official's "suitability for varsity games": what in your humble opinion is the normal period of time [or number of basketball seasons] for an official to realistically be expected to transition from sub-varsity to varsity?

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Kansas Ref

*So, given that you yourself are very familiar with both the "assigning" tasks and the evaluation of an official's "suitability for varsity games": what in your humble opinion is the normal period of time [or number of basketball seasons] for an official to realistically be expected to transition from sub-varsity to varsity?

There is no set answer for that. I have worked with guys who are ready after 1 season as long as you put them on the court with at least one trusted veteran who can handle coaches and any unusual situations. I have a protégé right now who is still 19 (or may have recently turned 20). He's not ready for the big time rivalry games or post-season Boys Varsity, but he is already trusted by 2 different HS commissioners to work regular season BV; and rightfully so.

I didn't start officiating until I was 37 years old. By my 2nd season I was getting BV games, in part because my military background gave me a maturity and presence that came across on the court, and I studied the rule book.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Kansas Ref

*So, given that you yourself are very familiar with both the "assigning" tasks and the evaluation of an official's "suitability for varsity games": what in your humble opinion is the normal period of time [or number of basketball seasons] for an official to realistically be expected to transition from sub-varsity to varsity?

There is no set answer to this.

I have worked with a 19 year old a few times in the past few years and he gets his calls right and works well. As long as he's with someone who can make sure coaches stay off his back and let him work, he's fine.

Some people take longer.

With everyone hiring 3 officials now for every game, we need 50% more varsity officials on every given night than we did 10 years ago. So some officials are moving up quicker......many of them are ready for it. Some are not.

I was 18 when I started and did not get under a trusted official's wing. So I had to learn things on my own, the hard way and it took me longer. And with 2-person crews, it was a slower process for even the best and it was accepted that good officials were working JV.

[Kansas Ref]

Originally Posted by Rich

There is no set answer to this.

I have worked with a 19 year old a few times in the past few years and he gets his calls right and works well. As long as he's with someone who can make sure coaches stay off his back and let him work, he's fine.

Some people take longer..

*Rich and BNR---I think we all realize that there are "exceptions" and "outliers" (i.e., the 19 yr ole kid who is so awesome that he gets high level varsity tournaments in his 2nd year of NF officiating); however, the simple question posed here is: Given that an aspiring official has attended the requisite camps, officiated the requisite sub-varsity schedule, had no Arbiter declines, and is working with a fair assignor, then what is a reasonable amount of time ["seasons of officiating"] that they ought to realistically expect to be transitioned from sub-varsity to varsity?

I would expect that number to be "Five" seasons of officiating. I base this on the reasoning from a well-informed book about human cognitive development and expertise in task operations [the book= "The Tipping Point", Malcolm Gladwell] in which he asserts that 10,000 hours of training/experience/practice on a given complex task will generally provide enough interactions and unique episodes with the subject matter to enable a person to go from "beginner" to "experienced". So, 5 years of officiating (even if done for 3 month long NF seasons only plus combined with camp attendance and reffing non-NF games off season) will get you pretty close to that 10,000 hours. Furthermore, it was described that any additional training after 10,000 hours when the task is not systematically increased in complexity/challenge will actually result in an erosion of the intended developed skill.
And in closing, I realize I have been long-winded here, but we must treat this situation of "official recruitment/retention" in a well-considered manner. Thanks, All.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Kansas Ref

*Rich and BNR---I think we all realize that there are "exceptions" and "outliers" (i.e., the 19 yr ole kid who is so awesome that he gets high level varsity tournaments in his 2nd year of NF officiating); however, the simple question posed here is: Given that an aspiring official has attended the requisite camps, officiated the requisite sub-varsity schedule, had no Arbiter declines, and is working with a fair assignor, then what is a reasonable amount of time ["seasons of officiating"] that they ought to realistically expect to be transitioned from sub-varsity to varsity?

I would expect that number to be "Five" seasons of officiating. I base this on the reasoning from a well-informed book about human cognitive development and expertise in task operations [the book= "The Tipping Point", Malcolm Gladwell] in which he asserts that 10,000 hours of training/experience/practice on a given complex task will generally provide enough interactions and unique episodes with the subject matter to enable a person to go from "beginner" to "experienced". So, 5 years of officiating (even if done for 3 month long NF seasons only plus combined with camp attendance and reffing non-NF games off season) will get you pretty close to that 10,000 hours. Furthermore, it was described that any additional training after 10,000 hours when the task is not systematically increased in complexity/challenge will actually result in an erosion of the intended developed skill.
And in closing, I realize I have been long-winded here, but we must treat this situation of "official recruitment/retention" in a well-considered manner. Thanks, All.

Outliers are created by training, a commitment to learning, and coach-ability. My opinion/observation is that officials who commit to higher level camps and training opportunities are ready for BV within 2-3 seasons of that commitment.

[Rich]

Year 3 I could see using that official and observing the work. Swag on my part...

[Rich]

There's a difference, too, between using someone as a U2 in a lower intensity game and as an R in a nutcutter.

[bossman72]

Originally Posted by Rich

There's a difference, too, between using someone as a U2 in a lower intensity game and as an R in a nutcutter.

Exactly. We kind of say "varsity" in this thread like once you break in to varsity you're ready from everything from Single-A to 6-A, which is obviously not the case.

You can use some of these new guys (competent year 3 guys, maybe year 2) in the lower classification games (small schools are "Single-A" here). Use the new guys in a few Single-A games mid-season that don't mean anything in the standings or a non-conference game. Gets their feet wet and doesn't affect much in the grand scheme of things.

KansasRef, IMO 5 years is wayyyyyy too long to wait for varsity. Especially when the young guy works a sub-varsity game with the old guy that does varsity, and the young guy does just as good of a job as the old guy, if not better (maybe slight edge due to mobility and fresh rules knowledge). That would make guys quit if they're sitting on the bench and that guy is getting varsity games.

[Kansas Ref]

Thank you, all.