Wanted, Reward, Dead Or Alive ...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Raymond

The problem will only continue to get worse, no matter how many cheesy signs get posted throughout the nation.

From the article, "And boards are becoming creative: one offered a gift card to a restaurant as incentive to apply".

Yeah. Right. A gift card to a restaurant will certainly entice many to give up time with their family, spend hours on ice, and snow covered, winter roads, and, as an extra added bonus, one gets to be yelled at by fans, and coaches. Yeah, that will do it.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

From the article, "And boards are becoming creative: one offered a gift card to a restaurant as incentive to apply".

Yeah. Right. A gift card to a restaurant will certainly entice many to give up time with their family, spend hours on ice, and snow covered, winter roads, and, as an extra added bonus, one gets to be yelled at by fans, and coaches. Yeah, that will do it.

You never know. Getting them to even consider the idea is often the hurdle. That gift card may even be all it takes to get some to give it a shot.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

You never know.

If it works, great.

Here in the Constitution State we're in dire need of officials in many sports, especially sports that traditionally play in the afternoon. I saw a basketball colleague of mine over the weekend who told me he took, and passed, the volleyball exam over the summer, and he's doing high level varsity volleyball games (state ranked teams) in his first year.

Of course, being the basketball official that I am, I kidded him that the hardest part of officiating volleyball was going up the ladder. He disagreed with me and said that hardest part of officiating volleyball was going down the ladder, one goes down backwards, and one can fall.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

The number of officials in all sports at all levels is dropping.

Mark, Jr. and I belong to two H.S. baseball/softball umpiring associations. The two association run a combined umpiring class, one for baseball and one for softball, because we have one assignor that uses all of the members combines to cover all baseball and softball in three counties.

We had total of 8 umpires take and pass either the baseball or softball class and 6 of the new umpires blocked the entire Spring on Arbiter, !

Special Olympics Ohio requires only OhioHSAA registered basketball officials officiate S.O. Basketball. There are over 875 schools that sponsor both both and girls basketball programs from 7th grade through VAR: that is 10 teams per school. Add to that need: All 88 counties plus the 6 largest city school districts sponsor S.O. Basketball meaning there are 94 S.O. Basketball programs sponsoring at least two and sometimes as many as four teams. Each team plays as many as 12 games during the regular season.

Last year I added 2 more counties that I assign for S.O. to the 2 for which I already assign. I had 6 different dates for which I had no officials to officiate S.O. games, and I am sure that there were JrHS games on those dates that were probably not covered.

I have already told the 2 counties that I added last year that I will not be able assign their games because I just do not have the officials to cover all of the games.

Many of you know that Mark, Jr., was promoted to Div. I college softball last year besides the Div. II and III conferences. In all of the college games that Mark has umpired in the last four years, he has worked one DH with an umpire in his age group. In the over 80 college games he has worked all but one of his partners have been at least 25 years older than him.

The officiating shortage is creeping up into the college ranks now. Mark umpired in a softball college show case and I talked with some of the college coaches that were there evaluating players and they all said that they were concerned about a shortage of umpires in college softball and the lack of young umpires moving up to college softball.

I do not know what the answer is. Mark and I and have tried to his younger brother (my younger son) to give officiating and/or umpiring a try and his answer is: "Dad, I have watched you officiate and umpire since I was a young boy and both of you officiate and umpire since Mark started, and there is not enough money to pay me to put up with crap you guys deal with. I do not know how you do it." Out of the mouths of babes.

MTD, Sr.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

I do not know what the answer is.

Haven't you been reading the thread?

Restaurant gift cards, the be all, and end all answer to all or our problems. They will get rid of warts, and are great for cleaning the white wall tires on your car.

The will even core a apple (with apologies to Ralph Kramden, a.k.a., Jackie Gleason).

https://youtu.be/22oCaiccz3w

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Haven't you been reading the thread?

Restaurant gift cards, the be all, and end all answer to all or our problems. They will get rid of warts, and are great for cleaning the white wall tires on your car.

The will even core a apple (with apologies to Ralph Kramden, a.k.a., Jackie Gleason).

https://youtu.be/22oCaiccz3w

Billy:

Today is our (Bonnie Jean, my wonderful, smart, intelligent, and beautiful wife, and me) our 36th wedding anniversary. Please buy me a gift card to Applebee's for us for tonight.

MTD, Sr.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Today is our (Bonnie Jean, my wonderful, smart, intelligent, and beautiful wife, and me) our 36th wedding anniversary. Please buy me a gift card to Applebee's for us for tonight.

Congratulations.



Here you go Mark T. DeNucci, Sr. Just print it, cut it out, and bring your better half out to dinner tonight, treat's on me.

True story. I took my daughter, son-in law, and grandson, out to Chili's a few weeks ago because I had a Chili's gift card. My treat (as always). After dinner I gave the waitress the gift card. She came back a few minutes later and said the card didn't work because it was an Outback gift card, for the restaurant across the street.

Now, where are my car keys?

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

If it works, great.

Here in the Constitution State we're in dire need of officials in many sports, especially sports that traditionally play in the afternoon. I saw a basketball colleague of mine over the weekend who told me he took, and passed, the volleyball exam over the summer, and he's doing high level varsity volleyball games (state ranked teams) in his first year.
....

There is a small group of basketball officials here who started doing volleyball, and they were all working play-offs matches by their 2nd season.

If I were to do another sport, it would be either field hockey or lacrosse. I need to be active and engaged while officiating, who I'll lose my concentration.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Raymond

There is a small group of basketball officials here who started doing volleyball, and they were all working play-offs matches by their 2nd season.

I forgot to mention, my basketball/volleyball guy never played interscholastic, or intercollegiate, volleyball. Just in high school physical education class. The first live interscholastic volleyball game that he ever observed, was the first live interscholastic volleyball game that he officiated, a varsity game, between state ranked schools.

With apologies to George Bernard Shaw, “Those who can play, and those who can’t officiate”.

Just kidding.

[bucky]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

If it works, great.

Here in the Constitution State we're in dire need of officials in many sports, especially sports that traditionally play in the afternoon. I saw a basketball colleague of mine over the weekend who told me he took, and passed, the volleyball exam over the summer, and he's doing high level varsity volleyball games (state ranked teams) in his first year.

Of course, being the basketball official that I am, I kidded him that the hardest part of officiating volleyball was going up the ladder. He disagreed with me and said that hardest part of officiating volleyball was going down the ladder, one goes down backwards, and one can fall.

If he does not understand that more energy is required to ascend than is needed to descend the ladder then he needs to step up.

Many basketball, and some soccer, officials move straight to volleyball due to knee/hip wear and tear. Dozens of old officials doing volleyball around me.

I think many youth fear officiating because they think it is what they see, Varsity games. They see adults yelling at Varsity games and think that is what officiating is.They do not understand that there are many levels of officiating the younger crowds and that they can start there. Additionally, they do not realize the mentoring/training that is available to them.

Local associations have struggled for years recruiting younger officials. Definitely a shortage.

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by bucky

I think many youth fear officiating because they think it is what they see, Varsity games. They see adults yelling at Varsity games and think that is what officiating is.They do not understand that there are many levels of officiating the younger crowds and that they can start there. Additionally, they do not realize the mentoring/training that is available to them.

In my opinion behavior is much worse, on average, in subvarsity and wreck ball than it is in varsity games. Maybe that's because the nonsense tends to get drowned out more in varsity games when there are more people in the stands.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by bucky

...

I think many youth fear officiating because they think it is what they see, Varsity games. They see adults yelling at Varsity games and think that is what officiating is....
....

I didn't start officiating until I 37. When I was 18 I worked the table (sometimes doing both the clock and book at the same time) on a military base. The person who hired me asked if I wantED to become an official and said no for that very reason. I had seen how these grown men had treated the officials and I wanted no part of it. Biggest career/business regret of my life is turning down that opportunity.

[ilyazhito]

At least you are a college official now. Maybe we might have been in the NBA together, but I digress.

There have been Washington Post articles about officiating shortages, and there have been days where I have been moved to cover other games (mostly in volleyball or other lower-profile sports), but no crises yet (fingers crossed).

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

At least you are a college official now. Maybe we might have been in the NBA together, but I digress.

This begs the question, are you going to be in the NBA? You seem awfully sure of yourself for someone who asks so many trivial questions and conducts himself like a rookie.