Moving Up!

[zebraman]

Originally posted by Stripes33
What's the best way to go about getting higher level games? I'm a fourth year official with varsity experience. I've had nothing but good feedback on my work. In our state there are a small number of assignors and our association does little to help. You are responsible for getting your own games, which I do (66). But, I'm having real trouble getting AD's to move me up. I'm currently looking into some camps this spring with hopes some connections can be made. I know time has to be put in but I really feel I'm ready. Also, another issue I've run into is this good-ol-boy network and it relly drives me crazy. I see guys with less experience doing games they have no business doing because there buddy got them in. Any advise? Just venting!!!

When I was our association's board president, I would say that 75% of complaints were just like this one. I'm not saying that to tell you that you're wrong, just that there are a lot of officials who feel the same way.

1) One thing I have found is that a lot of our officials have a hard time giving constructive criticism face-to-face. In a way it's good because it means that we are "positive people" and that the glass is half full rather than half empty. The bad side is that I had some officials rated near the bottom of our ratings list who seldom got any feedback that they could use to help them improve.

2) Even though we had a ratings system that determines how games are assigned, our assignor was given a little leeway to go "outside" of that system if an official had improved dramatically in the view of some of the more respected officials in our group. Get yourself a mentor. Find a veteran that you really like and respect (as a person and as an official) and tell him that you'd like his help in moving up. Not only will he give you good feedback, but maybe he'll put a good word in for you to the assignors if he feels you are better than the games you are currenlty getting.

3) You've already mentioned camps which is a great idea. Camp clinicians won't be afraid to tell you exactly what they think you need to work on in order to improve.

Z