Wanted, Reward, Dead Or Alive ...

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

Even though most subvarsity officials will never work varsity, I still believe that a valid approach for training would be to treat all officials in training as if they had varsity potential, and then choose the best of those in training to be added to the current varsity staff, with the next tier doing spot varsity assignments as needed. In this way, advancement would become more objective than subjective, because there would be evaluations of officials working, rules exams, practical tests, and other objective criteria to rank officials.

My point was not about training. My point was that most will never become a varsity official largely because of their own doing. If you do not want to travel and like being done at 8:00 on a Friday, varsity is not going to be for many people in that category, let alone how much you train them. The point was that many officials like working at a certain level because they can get games close to their house or job and be home at a certain time. Varsity officials in my experience are much more likely to be asked to work in a larger area or for different conferences if they want a full schedule. Not the case in lower level games. When you add in all the mistreatment and problems with other issues, you make it harder to keep people as officials.

I belong to an association that I was asked to join because the leadership wanted to raise the level of officiating in that group. They wanted officials that worked the postseason and wanted to work the postseason. The association had a reputation of being the "Middle school officials association" because most of the membership really relished working middle school or junior high games. Even high school games for many was not a desire.

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

I wouldn't say that varsity officials do not work subvarsity games when available to do so, because their input would be very useful to the newer official that has a subvarsity schedule (I don't know how useful that would be to the veteran subvarsity official (5+ years with no varsity experience)). However, later start times would make sense for working officials, especially if the games are spread over a wide geographic area and travel is required.

At least here, many veterans that work subvarsity games which usually are not on a varsity night are because they either cannot advance or they are doing it for the quick money. If you are a veteran at the varsity level in high demand and you take advantage of that demand, then you are likely not working a lot of subvarsity contests. It is hard to do multiple days a week outside of the varsity contests when you have other obligations than high school sports.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

The point was that many officials like working at a certain level because they can get games close to their house or job and be home at a certain time. Varsity officials in my experience are much more likely to be asked to work in a larger area or for different conferences if they want a full schedule. Not the case in lower level games.

Great point. Connecticut is a small state, and I'm only in a little corner, so I'm not required to travel more than 55 miles (one way) for any of my varsity games.

Back in the day, when I did recreation, and travel, games, they were all in my hometown. Ten minute drives. Back when I was doing Catholic middle school games, they were all in towns adjacent to my hometown. Twenty minute drives. I worked these types of games both for the experience, and the money.

Back then, and now, I would never travel 55 miles (one way) to do a recreation, travel, or a Catholic middle school game. Especially when there were, and are, tons of these games available to work much closer to home.

I just choose not to work them. I've paid my dues. I've been around the block a few times. I've been to a few rodeos.