1st all female crew

[RedAndWhiteRef]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Selecting people for crews because of gender, race, height, lack of hair, or any other reason besides the quality of the individual's officiating is wrong.
Unfortunately, you have taken the mistaken path of fulfilling an agenda.
This type of stuff doesn't help officiating and needs to stop.

There are matchups in my association where it's imperative to have at least one black official on the crew. Preferably two. Not saying it's right, I'm saying it's reality.

This business is full of politics regardless of whether it suits you.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by RedAndWhiteRef

There are matchups in my association where it's imperative to have at least one black official on the crew. Preferably two. Not saying it's right, I'm saying it's reality.

This business is full of politics regardless of whether it suits you.

There are also schools where I work who complain to assignors if they get all black crews.

[Terrapins Fan]

As for black officials, we have 2. Both work lower level games, but I can tell you from experience, they have a different ( better ) relationship with black players and black coaches.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Raymond

There are also schools where I work who complain to assignors if they get all black crews.

I send all-black crews into towns where there are few black people.

Good luck complaining to me about that one. I think most people know better.

I'm sure some coaches are, deep-down, bothered with females working boys games. Another complaint I don't expect to hear.

I really am color- and gender-blind when it comes to assigning. I need officials (about 40 a night) and I really only think about whether they can handle a particular contest. I don't always get that right, but I do my best.

Frankly, I'm the exact same way about all characteristics. Short, tall, thin, heavy, doesn't matter to me, as long as people can do the job.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Rich

I send all-black crews into towns where there are few black people.

Good luck complaining to me about that one. I think most people know better.

I'm sure some coaches are, deep-down, bothered with females working boys games. Another complaint I don't expect to hear.

I really am color- and gender-blind when it comes to assigning. I need officials (about 40 a night) and I really only think about whether they can handle a particular contest. I don't always get that right, but I do my best.

Frankly, I'm the exact same way about all characteristics. Short, tall, thin, heavy, doesn't matter to me, as long as people can do the job.

As it should be. But folks who think diversity considerations should be ignored are living in a bubble and ignoring history. As I said elsewhere on social media, there are currently state tournament officials in every state whose resumes have benefitted from the failure of females and minorities getting equal opportunities at some point in their careers.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Raymond

As it should be. But folks who think diversity considerations should be ignored are living in a bubble and ignoring history. As I said elsewhere on social media, there are currently state tournament officials in every state whose resumes have benefitted from the failure of females and minorities getting equal opportunities at some point in their careers.

Oh, I know. And quite a few who benefit from that would be easily passed over if the process was color- or gender-blind.

Not much I can do about that.

But I have realized that being selected for these things means less to me than it used to. Being selected often has little to do with being among the best.


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[SC Official]

It always amazes me when male officials complain about females getting a shot when those same officials raise no qualms about the fact that it is all but impossible to get hired on a men’s college staff as a woman.

Then all of a sudden when the women’s side gives preferential treatment to, you know, women, it’s some sort of major injustice.

[TriggerMN]

Originally Posted by Rich

Frankly, I'm the exact same way about all characteristics. Short, tall, thin, heavy, doesn't matter to me, as long as people can do the job.

If only college assignors felt the same way...

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by TriggerMN

If only college assignors felt the same way...

The difference is that numbers are normally not a problem for college assigners. They have lots of candidates that want to be on their staffs, so those characteristics help them narrow it down. High school assigners don't always have that luxury (whether Rich does or not, I don't know).

Someone a couple posts ago said something about shaving. In South Carolina it is written that we are required to have no facial hair except a mustache. And in most high school areas it's an unwritten rule that few if any officials can be good enough to overcome.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by TriggerMN

If only college assignors felt the same way...

I'm not a college assigner, although if I was a small college assigner I wouldn't pretend I was a D1 assigner, like so many of them seem to do today.

We're working high school basketball. My #1 concern is that the calls are correct and that officials know how to act in a school environment.

I don't care at all if "he runs funny" or "could stand to lose weight" or whatever else would be written on a college camp evaluation to eliminate people. Does the official get in position and does the official make correct calls at an acceptable level. Does the official know how to talk to coaches and therefore I don't get 5 phone calls a season about an official's demeanor/attitude/etc.

There are crews that have been to a few state tournaments that I simply will not use for a variety of reasons. Some are too demanding (I'll only work boys on Fridays) and some I don't really think are as good as they think they are based on their post-season assignments. I don't have the same agenda as the person who assigns that.

Others I've caught dumping my small school games for closer/"better" assignments. In other words, lack of integrity.

Four years of this has opened my eyes, believe me.

[crosscountry55]

Originally Posted by Rich

There are crews that have been to a few state tournaments that I simply will not use for a variety of reasons. Some are too demanding (I'll only work boys on Fridays) and some I don't really think are as good as they think they are based on their post-season assignments. I don't have the same agenda as the person who assigns that.

Here it is certainly possible to believe you are better than you are based on post-season assignments. For the coordinator (at least the current/outgoing one), assigning is much more a function of supply, location, and convenience than it is about ability. I know Rich knows this, but since this is an "everybody gets in" state, there are plenty of post-season games with which to inflate officials' egos.

Originally Posted by Rich

Others I've caught dumping my small school games for closer/"better" assignments. In other words, lack of integrity.

They don't know what they're missing. Some of your small school games are absolutely fantastic and a lot better then some of the urban mismatches I see here in the metro area. Granted, you have your share of putrid duds, too.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by crosscountry55

They don't know what they're missing. Some of your small school games are absolutely fantastic and a lot better then some of the urban mismatches I see here in the metro area. Granted, you have your share of putrid duds, too.

It's a function of "all games need to be covered."

In general, I prefer hiring those that want to be there, though, even more than someone with more talent that would rather be elsewhere.

With my season-ending knee injury, I don't need to worry about anything but assigning right now. And I have one night of games left to worry about.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by crosscountry55

They don't know what they're missing. Some of your small school games are absolutely fantastic ...

I had one of these as a fill in a few weeks ago. Very small, rural school, fifty-five mile one way trip for me. Pickup trucks in the parking lot, and fans wearing John Deere hats, that they dutifully took off during the National Anthem. Varsity home team had only freshmen and sophomores, and a terrible record. But in this small rural town, there's nothing else to do on a Friday night, so everybody goes to the game, small gymnasium but it's packed. There was even a pep band. Lopsided game, but a great atmosphere. I wouldn't mind making this trip (my most distant school) once, or twice, a year.

[scrounge]

Originally Posted by Raymond

There are also schools where I work who complain to assignors if they get all black crews.

That is shameful, and even more shameful by assignors if those complaints are met with anything more than the disdain they deserve.

[bucky]

Originally Posted by RedAndWhiteRef

There are matchups in my association where it's imperative to have at least one black official on the crew. Preferably two. Not saying it's right, I'm saying it's reality.

This business is full of politics regardless of whether it suits you.

And this is exactly why "reality" does not change and our current state of "biases" perpetuates. IMO, quite sad.