Reaching out of your area

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by Kansas Ref

But what about the parents and student-athletes? Regardless of the contest being sub-varsity, recreational league, CYO, or other, shouldn't the official give his/her best effort for the sake of making the contest a properly officiated one?

While this might be the politically correct thing to say, let's be real.

If I am working a bunch of games in a row, you can bet I will be conserving energy and steps so I have something left for the last game.

People need to understand that the officials who take a bunch of wreck games are often not "certified" officials; if they are they're often the bottom of the barrel. Sometimes "good" officials who take those games have unrealistic expectations of who they will be working with. Wreck games are not high school games; you're likely going to come already dressed, have a minimal (if any) pregame, and be working with partners who are just bad. That is what you sign up for with these games. And the insistence on doing everything "by the book" in these settings is just over-the-top.

I quit wasting my time on these games when they weren't helping me get any better and when the BS I had to put up with outweighed the money.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by SC Official

...

I quit wasting my time on these games when they weren't helping me get any better and when the BS I had to put up with outweighed the money.

I quit doing these games b/c of the bad habits I would fall into due to a lack of a 3rd official and for trying to compensate for weaker officials.

[ilyazhito]

I'd love to stop doing rec games, but unfortunately some of the HS associations that I work for expect (or require) their members to do some amount of rec ball. If and when I do get a full varsity schedule, I'll request to limit my rec games to either fellow varsity officials, or newer officials, so I could help them improve. Otherwise, I'll just work for groups that don't require me to do rec ball.

[SC Official]

"Required" to do wreck ball? Christ. I guess that's what happens when high school assigning groups take on those games, as well.

"Independent contractor" my ass. We have issues here, but I have never been "required" to do wreck ball as a condition of advancement.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by SC Official

"Required" to do wreck ball? Christ. I guess that's what happens when high school assigning groups take on those games, as well.

"Independent contractor" my ass. We have issues here, but I have never been "required" to do wreck ball as a condition of advancement.

This is how you lose officials as well. You require them to do things they might not have even signed up for. I am a high school official. I am only wanting to do high school games with my license. I do not care about AAU, wreak ball or some JH game that I do not need a license to do.

Peace

[ilyazhito]

Yes, Board 134 requires that its members do at least 1 weekend day of rec ball a month (it says that they do this to give back to the membership). Board 12 and MBOA have many rec contracts as well, and they constantly ask officials to help take those games. Some of my partners on those games are good varsity veterans or up-and-comers, but others...

At least 2 of my groups don't require rec games, so that's a plus. I'm OK with working an occasional rec game with good veterans, or to help up-and-comers develop good habits, but I am NOT OK with partners, even veteran varsity officials, not communicating and using bad mechanics. This includes reaching into my primary area on plays that are not emergencies. Be right, be late, be needed.

[SD Referee]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

Yes, Board 134 requires that its members do at least 1 weekend day of rec ball a month (it says that they do this to give back to the membership). Board 12 and MBOA have many rec contracts as well, and they constantly ask officials to help take those games. Some of my partners on those games are good varsity veterans or up-and-comers, but others...

At least 2 of my groups don't require rec games, so that's a plus. I'm OK with working an occasional rec game with good veterans, or to help up-and-comers develop good habits, but I am NOT OK with partners, even veteran varsity officials, not communicating and using bad mechanics. This includes reaching into my primary area on plays that are not emergencies. Be right, be late, be needed.

Wow!!!!!!!! Some of you guys have to put up with some unbelievable crap from a power hunger assignor or association. I'm so glad we are truly treated as independent contractors here and don't have to anything other than high school........what we are licensed for. What an absolute joke to make officials do wreck ball.

[BillyMac]

About thirty-five years ago my high school board assigned some recreation games, not many, but some. I believe that we were allowed to opt out of these games. Now we're 100% interscholastic games.

I opted to do them for a few years and learned a lot about game management that has helped me to this day. There's something to be said about learning under fire, not a lot, but something.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by SD Referee

Wow!!!!!!!! Some of you guys have to put up with some unbelievable crap from a power hunger assignor or association. I'm so glad we are truly treated as independent contractors here and don't have to anything other than high school........what we are licensed for. What an absolute joke to make officials do wreck ball.

While I don't like the idea of what they're doing, being an independent contractor doesn't mean you get to write the contract. It means you can take it or not.

If the person offering the job wants to package some number of games together in some way, they have that right as much as you have the right to take the entire job or not.