Why Aren't You On TV?

[IncorrectCall]

Saying "I didn't want to [go to camp, pay for camp, etc]" as an excuse for why you aren't moving up or never moved up always comes off as bitter, no matter how it's worded.

It's like saying "I didn't want to go to combines, get in the weightroom" when asked why you didn't play college ball. Or "I didn't want to work the small jobs, 60 hours a week" when asked why you didn't make it to the top of your profession.

Being part of "the network" / "having friends" isn't the only way to move up. It works for some, but please stop using it as an excuse of why you haven't/never moved up.

[scrounge]

Originally Posted by IncorrectCall

Saying "I didn't want to [go to camp, pay for camp, etc]" as an excuse for why you aren't moving up or never moved up always comes off as bitter, no matter how it's worded.

It's like saying "I didn't want to go to combines, get in the weightroom" when asked why you didn't play college ball. Or "I didn't want to work the small jobs, 60 hours a week" when asked why you didn't make it to the top of your profession.

Being part of "the network" / "having friends" isn't the only way to move up. It works for some, but please stop using it as an excuse of why you haven't/never moved up.

It doesn't have to be an excuse, but rather just an explanation. For many, the investment of time and treasure isn't worth the potential and uncertain reward, and that's fine. Regardless of the merits of the camp racket/system, if that's the requirement to get thru the gate of being considered, for some it's not a price they're willing to pay. Just like I'm an avid home cook and enjoy learning about it and becoming the best amateur chef I can be, but I'm not going to culinary school. This isn't my job, I'm not aiming to switch careers here. Doesn't mean I don't have the talent or ability to do so, just not choosing to try for a whole variety of reasons.

[SD Referee]

Originally Posted by IncorrectCall

Saying "I didn't want to [go to camp, pay for camp, etc]" as an excuse for why you aren't moving up or never moved up always comes off as bitter, no matter how it's worded.

It's like saying "I didn't want to go to combines, get in the weightroom" when asked why you didn't play college ball. Or "I didn't want to work the small jobs, 60 hours a week" when asked why you didn't make it to the top of your profession.

Being part of "the network" / "having friends" isn't the only way to move up. It works for some, but please stop using it as an excuse of why you haven't/never moved up.

I'm not sure who your comments are directed at. If they are directed at me, this is my response.

I have no interest in doing college because of what it takes to get in. My family time is more important to me than spending a lot of time and money at camps to prove that I know what I'm doing. So.........this is no excuse for never moving up because I have no desire to go higher than high school.

Getting to NCAA D1 level games without the network and going to camps is impossible. Now, once you get there you might be able to stay there without paying for the camps. I have no idea and I will never find out as I have no desire to be part of that. I do know that the college guys in my area had no college games of any kind until they started going to camps ON A REGULAR BASIS. This is fairly low level college stuff too. Once they started spending the money on camps and going every year, they magically started getting calls.

I am perfectly happy doing high school and being the best that I can be at that.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by IncorrectCall

Saying "I didn't want to [go to camp, pay for camp, etc]" as an excuse for why you aren't moving up or never moved up always comes off as bitter, no matter how it's worded.



It's like saying "I didn't want to go to combines, get in the weightroom" when asked why you didn't play college ball. Or "I didn't want to work the small jobs, 60 hours a week" when asked why you didn't make it to the top of your profession.



Being part of "the network" / "having friends" isn't the only way to move up. It works for some, but please stop using it as an excuse of why you haven't/never moved up.

I can telll you why I didn't pursue it when I was younger. I didn't want to drive 3-5 hours to work in half-empty (or virtually empty for NCAAW) gyms.

Not saying I ever had the talent. But I never really wanted to be more than a HS official. I love HS sports. So much so that I voluntarily left small college baseball and football cause the time-to-joy ratio was too damned high for me. Not to mention the bullshit-to-joy ratio.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[LRZ]

Rich: "I love HS sports."

Amen. I never had the desire to work college, although I did do local, D3 soccer for a while. And I find that working HS, MS--really, youth sports, from 8-18--allows me to be part of the local community. One of the greatest joys I get from officiating is seeing a kid I umpired or refereed for when he/she was 8-9 years old, now playing varsity.

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by IncorrectCall

Saying "I didn't want to [go to camp, pay for camp, etc]" as an excuse for why you aren't moving up or never moved up always comes off as bitter, no matter how it's worded.

It's like saying "I didn't want to go to combines, get in the weightroom" when asked why you didn't play college ball. Or "I didn't want to work the small jobs, 60 hours a week" when asked why you didn't make it to the top of your profession.

Being part of "the network" / "having friends" isn't the only way to move up. It works for some, but please stop using it as an excuse of why you haven't/never moved up.

How is it an excuse? It's a reality for a lot of high school officials. Family time, careers, spending money on other things are higher priorities for lots of officials. I got out of it for a couple reasons, and yes, the time, politics, and money were factors. What makes you "holier than thou"?

For the record, I work with a lot of awful partners in high school. But I also work with a few that are FAR better than some of the partners I worked with in my college days. And some of those good partners are like me-they left or cut down on working college for their own reasons.

And let's not pretend like the #1 objective of camps is finding new officials. Camps are, more or less, a moneymaker primarily and a means of finding new talent secondarily. To act like that's not (generally) true is being disingenuous.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by SC Official

How is it an excuse? It's a reality for a lot of high school officials. Family time, careers, spending money on other things are higher priorities for lots of officials. I got out of it for a couple reasons, and yes, the time, politics, and money were factors. What makes you "holier than thou"?

For the record, I work with a lot of awful partners in high school. But I also work with a few that are FAR better than some of the partners I worked with in my college days. And some of those good partners are like me-they left or cut down on working college for their own reasons.

And let's not pretend like the #1 objective of camps is finding new officials. Camps are, more or less, a moneymaker primarily and a means of finding new talent secondarily. To act like that's not (generally) true is being disingenuous.

I often wondered why someone applying for a job should pay someone for the interview.

Good teaching camps are different.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by Rich

I often wondered why someone applying for a job should pay someone for the interview.

Good teaching camps are different.

Companies need new employees when people leave.

It's rare that a college assigner "needs" new officials.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by SC Official

Companies need new employees when people leave.

It's rare that a college assigner "needs" new officials.

I am amazed that this system still exists, to be honest. The double dipping just seems wrong. The coordinator is being paid by the conference to evaluate and hire officials, after all.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Rich

I am amazed that this system still exists, to be honest. The double dipping just seems wrong. The coordinator is being paid by the conference to evaluate and hire officials, after all.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

NBA types hate the college camp system. And what you just stated is one of the major reasons.

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by Rich

I am amazed that this system still exists, to be honest. The double dipping just seems wrong. The coordinator is being paid by the conference to evaluate and hire officials, after all.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Oh I’m with you. It’s wrong, but as long as assigners and officials are independent contractors (and officials are willing to pay up for a chance to be seen), I don’t see how it will change.

[EarnYourStripes]

I think we can all agree that nobody is a fan of the current camp system but it is what it is. There is big money available to folks who are able to make it to the division 1 level. When that's the case you have to be willing to do what is necessary to get a job. Invest in yourself. Just like people make a decision to invest in themselves in their normal career. People go to college to earn a degree for the opportunity at a potentially higher paying job. People invest in certifications and classes to move up in their chosen career. Does it suck to have to shell out money for camps year after year? Yes but guess what, I'm going to make that back and more when games get assigned. It's not all politics in this business. Name one part of life that doesn't involve politics. That's just how it goes. If you are in shape, can referee and are a pretty decent human being odds are that you are gonna be given a shot. What you do with it from there is on you.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by SC Official

Oh I’m with you. It’s wrong, but as long as assigners and officials are independent contractors (and officials are willing to pay up for a chance to be seen), I don’t see how it will change.

Make the assigners conference employees. Problem solved?

I have seen HS assigners (with college ties) try to do this with HS games. I couldn't imagine trying to pull this for a game with a $65-$70 payday.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro