Why Aren't You On TV?

[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.


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[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.


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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.


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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.

[bucky]

Originally Posted by 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.

For the most part, I understand your point. However, college degrees, certs, classes, etc. contain new material. Go to college for 1 year and they teach you new things. Go to college the fourth year and they teach you new things. They do not teach you the same things in your fourth year that they taught you in your first year. Camps essentially do not do it this way. Go to camp your first year and they teach you new things. Go to camp any time after that and, assuming you learned nothing the first year, they teach you the same things. If you learned everything the first time then they teach you nothing new from that point forward. At camps you are simply refining and once mastered, you do not learn anything new. Camps are more about "networking".

[Rich]

Originally Posted by bucky

For the most part, I understand your point. However, college degrees, certs, classes, etc. contain new material. Go to college for 1 year and they teach you new things. Go to college the fourth year and they teach you new things. They do not teach you the same things in your fourth year that they taught you in your first year. Camps essentially do not do it this way. Go to camp your first year and they teach you new things. Go to camp any time after that and, assuming you learned nothing the first year, they teach you the same things. If you learned everything the first time then they teach you nothing new from that point forward. At camps you are simply refining and once mastered, you do not learn anything new. Camps are more about "networking".

Then you're choosing some poor camps. I went to the same camp for a bunch of years as a camper and spent the last couple as a clinician. I learned things that made me better EVERY year. The biggest nugget I learned was as a clinician.

Philosophies change, mechanics and how to take plays change subtlly all the time. If you're not learning anything, it's not a good camp or the clinicians are poor.


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[mtn335]

Originally Posted by Rich

Philosophies change, mechanics and how to take plays change subtlly all the time. If you're not learning anything, it's not a good camp or the clinicians are poor.

This is the most important reason to go to camp - it's to stay current. The pace of change may not be fast, but if you let it go for more than a year or two, you're going to be behind and a little out of touch (and maybe more than a little the longer you don't go). Camp's where we start to set the tone for the year to come; it's where we get some common understanding of things that we then all go use in our pregame in the next year, etc. So in pregame, we're not explaining new topics, we're referring back to prior learning.

Last year, my third child was due the week of the camp run by the supervisor in my highest league, and ended up being born (2 weeks late) the weekend of the other major camp in our area. So I didn't go to camp in 2017, and let me tell you: I felt the difference. Just 1 summer of not talking the talk and running the floor with everybody for 1 or 2 weekends, and I could tell I was behind. It worked out fine, but you have to stay current.

I'm likely never going to climb higher than I am today, because the places where I'd get seen by next-level supervisors are places I'm not willing to spend my time, money, or spousal indulgence to go. I'm in no way bothered by that; if I went for it, maybe it'd work out, maybe not, but my choices mean my life isn't cut out for that chase! And that's fine!

But I WILL keep going to camp as long as I'm trying to referee, because the feeling this fall of not having that edge, of not being on top of everything, SUCKED.

[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.


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