Can anyone provide insight on the latest compensation rates expected for officiating on each level of play.
- college
- high school
- recreation leagues

Too many variables to answer this question. Why do you ask?

***** <I><B>college</B></I>
<UL>
<LI>
lots (with the exception of real small colleges and JC)
</LI>
</UL>

***** <I><B>high school</B></I>

<UL>
<LI>
not much
</LI>
</UL>

*****<I> <B>recreation leagues</B></I>

<UL>
<LI>
even less
</LI>
</UL>


Z

[Edited by zebraman on Sep 10th, 2004 at 09:24 PM]

Compensattion
 

Come on now... you can work with a pay range. In Houston I find a great desparity in compensation. It seems the higher the level of competition, the lower the compensation.
JC- $100 plus % of gate

High School- $50 per game

Rec Leagues- $15-$25

The JC games can be uncompensated travel time and High school games can easily be 3 hours of your time and more if there is travel. But the rec leagues are 50 minute games and you get four in one night. Why do I want to travel 4 hours to do a JC game when I can make more at the local YMCA down the street in less time the same night?

I just wondered if anyone else was experiencing the same dilemma?

Different strokes for different folks.
 

abode,
This is not a choice with which I struggle.
I prefer the quality of the game to the amount of income.
mick

Re: Compensattion
 

Nope.

If anyone out there wants to trade their junior college/HS varsity (heck, at this point, I'd take a good JV game) games for my intramural basketball schedule, I'm willing to do so! I'll even let you work frat night. :p

I've had several veteran officials (most of these guys are tired of the politics involved in HS assignments) adamently tell me that they would rather take 4 $20 rec league games that are near their house, that they can show up 10 minutes before tip and leave immediately after than to take 1 HS $54-58 varsity game that by the time you add travel and pregame to it's pretty much same time involved. They are "attempting" to influence me to follow just the same as if they can keep the local association from the newer (me in my 4th year) refs from working HS. Their thought is that if there is such a shortage, then scale will be forced to raise.

I agree with the post that I prefer the quality over the $ and I want to move up eventually as high in the college ranks as possible.

I know in HS most places compensate for travel. In Texas, Driver makes federal mileage. Last year it was .35 / mile. I know all college pays mileage and hotel and airline expenses depending on need. Under that senerio, I don't mind driving 100 miles just to call a Junior High game. I just don't like being the guy in the passenger seat.

Those veterans who would rather take the rec game over the varsity game are the ones that have given up on themselves. They just do it for the money. They won't attend camps. They won't attend meetings; and they won't do what it takes to become an official that can call that high level varsity or college game.

[Edited by Tim Roden on Sep 12th, 2004 at 02:27 PM]

Veteran officials who are working rec ball rather than HS and using "politics" as an excuse.....I've heard that before. The refs I've heard that from before are the ones who never made it to the top (either from lack of ability or lack of hard work) and have become bitter and full of excuses. The fact that they would try to influence an official in his/her 4th year from wanting to work up to varsity says a lot about them too. Stay away from those guys and align yourself with successful officials.

Z

In general, I agree with you Zebe, but there are exceptions. There are folks who do a great job at rec, and have other passions. They do it because it's easy money, but they also give something back. I've known a few, and have learned a lot from them.

You can tell the difference by the tone in the voice when they talk about high school and college games. If they growl, "Aww, it's a bunch of crap" you know they didn't get along with the in-crowd, and probably alienated an assigner or two. But if it's, "Yea, hs can be a lot of fun, if you have the time and energy to devote to it" then you know they are basically fine with the situation -- it was their choice.

Re: Compensattion
 

Considering one is fun and the other is a waste of time, I would rather travel 4 hours to do the fun game. No dilemma here.

Peace

When someone starts complain about politics, watch out!!! There is politics in everything you do. The issue at hand here is understanding the system and work that system. But when you never attend camps, never attend meetings, never handle this as a professional, you are going to have something to complain about. There is a reason some officials will never make it. Not everyone is going to be successful in other professions, officiating is not any different.

Leave those clowns alone. ;)

Peace

You're right Rainmaker... but the original post alluded to politics and also that they were trying to encourage this fairly new official to stick with rec ball too. Add those two together and it sounds like bitterness and excuses rather than passion and giving back to the game.

Z

Z,
What does your phrase mean. Is that so important?
mick

Re: Re: Compensattion
 

Rut, I agree with you that I'd rather travel to do a college game than do rec ball. However, I think there are some people who would say making $250-$350 in a weekend is not a waste of time. Just the other side of the coin, that's all.