Road trip

[tomegun]

I had to go to West Virginia for a basketball game on Wednesday and I didn't get back until 3am yesterday. Was the thread about a certain baseball player that seems to be missing. I was just wondering if a moderator removed this thread. Whatever that case may be I want to apologize if I said anything to offend anyone. Unfortunately some of the things I posted, I have lived.

Anyway, a long trip (I have to pay my dues) for an uneventful game. The observer didn't even come into the locker room after the game. He didn't have anything to tell us at halftime other than to tell us he wouldn't be in after the game unless we had a brawl. I didn't think anything of it but on the way home I called my buddy out west and he said the observer should come into the locker room no matter what. What do you guys think about an observer that doesn't give feedback? If I thought there were calls or kicked plays that the crew messed up I would take the observers absence as a bad thing. This was a good game for the crew and one of the other officials has been in the conference for a long time so I think it is a good thing.

[ChuckElias]

Around here, HS observers provide a written eval and do not go into the locker room.

My college observer comes into the locker room and does not provide a written eval.

I don't think there's a universal procedure.

[tomegun]

You have HS observers where you live? Just something this made me think about, giving comments/constructive critism to a HS official is often more political than college. We didn't have observers in Las Vegas and now that I think about it there are a few here in Maryland. As an official I would go to the JV games and would have to be very careful about what I would say because some officials are "sensitive." I'm not talking about totally ripping someone because I get absolutely no satisfaction out of this. Well I have witnessed a change in position, not ability, can cause people to hang on an official's every word. In college it is kind of like you know the observers are there and you know you aren't going to hear how good of an official you are every game. I want to improve so I don't like to be "stroked" after every game

Anyway, what do others think of what evaluators/observers say to you after a game? For a while there was one guy that I really struggled with years ago. He was about as blunt as you can get. Once I realized that he just cared about me it didn't bother me at all. Now he is one of my best friends. Because I don't know everyone's personality I tend to make suggestions based on what I do rather than have a long list of things a younger official should change. I also keep in mind that an official can't work on many things at once.