Northern VA Officials Associations

[BillyMac]

It sounds like Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, are a cornucopia of "alphabet organizations" with "open borders", certainly a great example of the free market system.

Officials have lots of choices. Schools have lots of choices. Leagues and conferences have lots of choices. The state has lots of choices.

Can it ever get confusing? Can there ever be too many choices? Are there any negative aspects of having so much freedom and so many choices? Do these various "alphabet organizations" ever find themselves to be in competition with other "alphabet organizations", fighting for games, offering "discount" fees, and fighting for new recruits? Are there any restrictions or is it always the "Wild West"?

Just asking.

[ilyazhito]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

It sounds like Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, are a cornucopia of "alphabet organizations" with "open borders", certainly a great example of the free market system.

Officials have lots of choices. Schools have lots of choices. Leagues and conferences have lots of choices. The state has lots of choices.

Can it ever get confusing? Can there ever be too many choices? Are there any negative aspects of having so much freedom and so many choices? Do these various "alphabet organizations" ever find themselves to be in competition with other "alphabet organizations", fighting for games, offering "discount" fees, and fighting for new recruits? Are there any restrictions or is it always the "Wild West"?

Just asking.

There is competition for contracts, so associations have to stay atop of the game by training their officials, evaluating their officials, and putting the best officials possible on the high-profile games so that schools and leagues would not be tempted to break the existing contracts and offer them to different associations instead.

The transfer process (leaving one board and joining another, or adding a board) requires the official to pay dues to the new association, register with the state governing body (if the new board is not in the same state as the old board), have the old association send word (usually by email) that the official is in good standing with the old association, and complete an application. Sometimes, the official needs to pay for a background check, but not always (VHSL registration includes payment for a background check). Because an official must currently be (or have been, if he is no longer a member of his old board) in good standing with his old board before transferring to another board, an official who has not paid dues cannot transfer to avoid suspension, probation, or other punishment from his old board. Receiving associations must also evaluate officials to place them at the appropriate level, so that an official will not work games that he is not prepared for. So, checks and balances do exist in a system where an official can be affiliated with multiple boards.

Specifically for Virginia officials joining another Virginia group (e.g. a Bull Run official living in Centreville wanting to join Cardinal Basketball Officials Association (Board 255)), they must apply to their other group(s), have their original group send information that they are members in good standing, pay dues for both groups, inform the VHSL of their multiple membership, and designate a primary group that they will receive VHSL assignments from.