Recruiting

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Rich

I worked underclass ball for 5-6 years before I got a full varsity schedule.

I worked varsity in my very first year. By my second year the vast majority of my games were varsity level. Now I worked many more girls varsity that year than boys and still had to earn my right to get move boys varsity games and by my third year I had much fewer girls games than boys. I attribute that all to dedications and seeking training and advice. Many officials just work games and hope that they are given a chance. You got to put in the work and become a gym rat on some level if you want someone to have that confidence in you.

Peace

[Rich]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I worked varsity in my very first year. By my second year the vast majority of my games were varsity level. Now I worked many more girls varsity that year than boys and still had to earn my right to get move boys varsity games and by my third year I had much fewer girls games than boys. I attribute that all to dedications and seeking training and advice. Many officials just work games and hope that they are given a chance. You got to put in the work and become a gym rat on some level if you want someone to have that confidence in you.

Peace

I won't argue with you, but also understand that everything back then was 2-person and I lived in an area where even the BEST officials got no more than 2-3 days a week. They also worked ALL GV/BV DH, which cut opportunities even further. Rural area - Lots of guys, few games. Things improved for me quickly once I moved to a more urban area for grad school.

Here if I was a real go-getter, I could work 6-7 days a week and build a varsity schedule very quickly.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Rich

I won't argue with you, but also understand that everything back then was 2-person and I lived in an area where even the BEST officials got no more than 2-3 games a week. Rural area - Lots of guys, few games. Things improved for me quickly once I moved to a more urban area for grad school.

Here if I was a real go-getter, I could work 6-7 days a week and build a varsity schedule very quickly.

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

[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.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Rich

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.

When I was starting, a lot of officials had never worked 3 person. So I was just as knowledgeable about that system as many veteran that had been working 2 person their entire career and did not know. So that was my in. Now I was not as good of an official, but I knew what to do in that system to get by. That is not so much the case anymore. Veterans know what they are doing and if you don't, now you can screw things up in everyone's eyes. Usually it takes officials about 5 years where we can "hide" them in a 3 person system as everyone including the coaches know more about what we do than they did when I started 20 years ago. And this is really the case with video the way it is now used.

Peace