New Ref

[Smitty]

Originally posted by ChuckElias
Get black beltless pants (I prefer non-pleated Sansabelts, but you can buy other brands that still look nice).

I was so hoping no one would have already mentioned the beltless pants so I could give the kid the absolute most important piece of advice of all.

Timing is everything...

[ReadyToRef]

Never call anything you can't explain.

and

Sometimes Ugly is just Ugly!

[youngbballref]

I e-mailed the guy about the jeastman camp. I have the application and will be filling it out and sending it in. I am looking forward to being up there this summer learning some new stuff. Thank you alll for you help and advice.

Thanks,

[mick]

Originally posted by youngbballref
I e-mailed the guy about the jeastman camp. I have the application and will be filling it out and sending it in. I am looking forward to being up there this summer learning some new stuff. Thank you alll for you help and advice.

Thanks,

Attaboy!
You have been shopping at Honigs in Ann Arbor haven't you?

[rainmaker]

I didn't start reffing until I was already an old lady, so I had to improve as quickly as I could or I'd never get to do more than Jr Hi games. Here are two things you can do if you want to really speed up the process:

A) (...and I can't believe no one else has said this) Catch yourself on video tape. Take a friend to a game and get him or her set up ahead of time with a fully charged battery, and a 2 hour cassette. have them use a tripod and just slide it back and forth. Be sure they follow you and not the ball. When you watch your first two or three tapes, you'll know what you need to work on next. It will be VERY obvious.

B) Start early working on watching off-ball. The best way to get a great evaluation is to call one good off-ball foul in the first quarter. But watching off-ball is a little tricky, since it's just natural to follow the ball. The best way to practice is to tape college games off of tv until you get a game where there is an off-ball foul called, and it shows on the screen, either during the running time, or in instant replay. Practice seeing that foul before it's called.

Doing these two things will help you move up as fast as it's possible to do. And don't forget to have fun!

[mick]

This is the link to MHSAA "Legacy" program for Student officials. The program requires a very active association between youngbballref and his mentor.
I presume most states offer a similar tool.

http://www.mhsaa.com/services/legacy.pdf

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by Smitty

I was so hoping no one would have already mentioned the beltless pants

Timing is everything...

Smitty, don't tell anybody, but. . . that post is actually almost 2 years old! I wrote it two years ago for another poster and I just keep cutting-and-pasting it for new guys. Shhhhhhhhh.

Also (almost as scandalous), I've switched to beltless, pleated pants

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by rainmaker
(...and I can't believe no one else has said this) Catch yourself on video tape.

Everybody knows that's your baby, Juulie. Nobody wanted to steal your thunder.

[Smitty]

Originally posted by ChuckElias

Smitty, don't tell anybody, but. . . that post is actually almost 2 years old! I wrote it two years ago for another poster and I just keep cutting-and-pasting it for new guys. Shhhhhhhhh.

Also (almost as scandalous), I've switched to beltless, pleated pants

Well welcome to the 21st century, Chuck!

I didn't mean to pick on you personally, you just happened to be the one who mentioned the beltless pants first. That was one of the first threads I read when I started reading this forum a couple months ago and I was pretty amazed at the passion people felt for pants. It's kind of become an icon for me about this forum.

I certainly hope that you'll never go back after feeling what those pleats do for your game. Almost like what happens to Superman when he puts on those tights, eh?

[bob jenkins]

Originally posted by ChuckElias
Also (almost as scandalous), I've switched to beltless, pleated pants

Well, it's official.

Next year, all the "good" officials will be wearing belted, plain-front pants.