Wanted, Reward, Dead Or Alive ...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by CJP

We drive 100+ miles to do games sometimes ...

Originally Posted by CJP

Pay is about $90 for a jv/varsity game ... The furthest I traveled last year was 180 miles (one way) for a DH.

Originally Posted by CJP

The going rates that most schools in the area pay are $60 for a varsity game and $30 for a JV game.

No wonder you have trouble recruiting new talent. From what you've told us, you couldn't recruit me if you promised me a state final my first year.

(Connecticut Game Fees for 2018-2019: Varsity Fee: $97.17, Subvarsity Fee: $63.05. No mileage. Fees per person for a two person game.)

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by CJP

No. The going rates that most schools in the area pay are $60 for a varsity game and $30 for a JV game. There are some schools that pay a little more because they realize guys have to travel farther to get to the games.

At those rates, it probably costs you to work a game between all the expenses.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

This photo reminds me of a scene (it was either the opening scene, or the closing scene) in Woody Allen's Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972)

Great movie. You young'uns should go down to your local Blockbuster Video and rent the videotape.

Nice reference!

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by grunewar

Nice reference!

It's actually in both the opening and closing of Woody Allen's 1972 film, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask).

If you like lots of cute bunnies, or 1920's Cole Porter tunes, or 1970's Woody Allen films, click on the link.

It's not basketball related at all, so if you expect a basketball video, don't click on the link.

This comes from an earlier post where I stated that charter schools, and magnet schools, multiply like rabbits here in Connecticut.

https://youtu.be/BCT2NK0OFc8

Warning: The song is "catchy", it will stay in your head all day. You've been warned.

Enjoy.

[sdoebler]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

At those rates, it probably costs you to work a game between all the expenses.

Similar rates here, I had a thread prior to last season that tried to outline fees per state.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by CJP

The going rates that most schools in the area pay are $60 for a varsity game and $30 for a JV game.

Originally Posted by sdoebler

Similar rates here, I had a thread prior to last season that tried to outline fees per state.

Having any problems recruiting new talent?

[ilyazhito]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I have some experience with college intramural officials as one of my better friends runs an intermural program on a major college campus. One of the issues with officials from those programs is they often do not have the transportation or the time to work games all the way out. This is especially true if they do not have the desire or commitment to the craft yet. But those that get the bug often do very well, but it is getting those out of their comfort zone to officiate real games. The intermural environment is very different than a game where the bullet are really flying in an actual middle school or high school environment. My friend had done a lot to get those officials to work games and it often does not work for most. Again the behavior of the participants and fans often is the main deterrent to those getting into the profession.



I do feel we need to do a better job to recruit younger officials. The problem is again that younger people do not see the desire to get into officiating in any sport. They do not see the value in being apart of a sport that they played. We even have a harder time to get young women that played the sport. Often the people that officiate are men that never played the game at any significant level in the first place. Most of the people we get here are men that who watched a child play sports in high school or college and then they get into officiating to stay connected to the sport.

I run a "Beginning Officials Class" and almost all the new students are people in the classes are in their 40s and older.

Peace

About travel issues, it probably depends on the quality of transportation options available. In the DC Metro Area, I am able to get around on a combination of public transportation and Uber, on days that I don't have access to a car. If there is reliable public transit (or at least Über, ridesharing, and/or taxi service available), then transportation is less of a problem. If not, associations might consider creating a carpool system to ensure that officials can ride to games together (this would help those officials without cars).

A carpool system would also be useful for associations with large coverage areas, because even officials with cars might find it easier to ride to a neutral area to meet partners, and then ride as a crew to their game from that neutral site, than to drive the 50+ or 100+ miles alone. Heck, part of the pregame conference might already be covered on the ride to the game site. Maybe multiple officials could be assigned to ride together from a subvarsity game to a varsity game (e.g. the U1 and U2 come to Boondocks High School from the City High School boys JV game to work the Boondocks boys varsity game with the R, who already had the Boondocks JV game).

For younger officials, I would conduct sales pitches not only with the potential officials themselves, but also with significant others and/or family. This way, the people important to potential officials' lives would understand the benefits and sacrifices that officiating entails early in the process, and would decide whether and how to support their loved ones in officiating. I would also pitch the opportunities for advancement and mobility in the officiating profession, opportunities for recognition and development, and the opportunity to earn better money than in most part-time jobs. This is an element that has appealed to officials historically (cf. Ed Hochuli and Pop Warner football officiating when he was a law school student).

[JRutledge]

All sounds wonderful, but no one is going through all of that to cover games. I get that some might need rides, but if I have to go out of my way to assign you a game, then that might be an issue. It is hard enough for an assignor to get people that can come to the game, now you want them to assign games for others to be the reason they get there? Then if that person for some reason cannot pick up the person, now you have to find another person to replace the two assignments.

That is a lot of work.

Peace

[sdoebler]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Having any problems recruiting new talent?

Extreme issues. I believe historically, at least around here, schools played most of their basketball games on Tuesdays and Fridays. About two years ago the association met with the athletic directors and governing body to equal out games per day. They now try to have about the same amount of games played all six available days of the week Mon-Sat.

In terms of recruitment around 09-12 the new officials class would have 40-60 people in it each year. Now I believe the numbers have been 10-15 the last 2-3 years. It is not sustainable with the numbers of officials we have retiring each year. Also, around here there are more schools being built and athletic programs being added. Each year as we have less officials and there are more and more games to cover.

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by sdoebler

Extreme issues. I believe historically, at least around here, schools played most of their basketball games on Tuesdays and Fridays. About two years ago the association met with the athletic directors and governing body to equal out games per day. They now try to have about the same amount of games played all six available days of the week Mon-Sat.

I'm just surprised the ADs were willing to actually consider the officials in making their schedules.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by SC Official

I'm just surprised the ADs were willing to actually consider the officials in making their schedules.

It probably came down to that, not playing games, or playing one-person games.

When athletic directors keep getting, "Sorry. Nobody available", from the assigner every time they schedule, or reschedule, a game, they'll eventually get the point.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by sdoebler

... around here there are more schools being built and athletic programs being added.

Around here it's new magnet schools, and new charter schools.

We've seen a slight dip in subvarsity girls programs around here, a few schools couldn't field a girls junior varsity team last season, and very few schools have a freshman girls team.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by SC Official

I'm just surprised the ADs were willing to actually consider the officials in making their schedules.

Why would that be surprising? Even here some conference games were played on "off nights" in order to get officials they might not get if they played all their games on a Friday. I know that in many cases that were made to have officials that worked boys games to be available. I am not talking about half the season, but certainly, a game on off nights was moved to get a better crowd and sometimes to get better crews for that night as well. Keep in mind we do not do two games in a night.

Do not get me wrong, we often not considered at all in any things schools do. But if they want officials, they better do something.

Peace

[sdoebler]

Originally Posted by SC Official

I'm just surprised the ADs were willing to actually consider the officials in making their schedules.

I believe prior to this a variety of schools received the answer that there were no officials to work the schools game on Friday. My understanding is that this happened to almost half of their games scheduled on Fridays. Then they had to do last minute changes generally which no one wants to deal with. Like others have said they really didn't have a choice in the matter the games were already being moved to off days during the season. At least working with the relevant parties on scheduling prior to the season allowed them to avoid all the changes.

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by sdoebler

At least working with the relevant parties on scheduling prior to the season allowed them to avoid all the changes.

I guess that was my point. Normally officials are an afterthought for schools until something goes wrong, but the shortage must be getting so dire in some places that schools have to be proactive in scheduling around when officials will be most available.

I wonder how your assigner decided which schools got officials and which ones had to reschedule.