seriously considering

[Back In The Saddle]

Sounds like we've got a lot in common. In my younger years I worked baseball and football. My first varsity football assignment came during my first year. I was working high school baseball while I was a junior in high school. In baseball and softball I was working state and regional tournaments in my second or third year. I was in demand and my calendar was always full.

Then I caught the bug and started doing basketball. Oh my! It is a different world. I worked my tail off. I worked every game I could beg, many for free. I went to camps. I bought the new gear (thankfully basketball gear is a lot cheaper than baseball). I joined a gym and hired a trainer. I studied the rules. I did all of this before my first year of HS basketball. I was ready to rock and roll.

But my expectations had been set by my experience with other sports. I got my first schedule and it had a grand total of 3 games. All freshman and sophomore. Mostly girls. The next schedule had 4! Woo hoo. If I remember correctly, I was assigned exactly 10 games last year. Was I ready to quit? You bet I was.

But the problem wasn't so much with me -- it was with my expectations. This isn't baseball or football.

I stuck it out, and was willing to take this new challenge on its terms. I began paying my dues. I went to the camps. I began meeting the people that mattered. I was ready, willing and eager to take turnbacks on a moments notice. I kept my bag packed and in my car and IMed the assignor several times each week. I began hanging around to watch the varsity officials. I talked to many different people and tried to get an idea of what I should really expect.

Oh, and I got better. I look back now and understand that last year I didn't even realize how weak I really was. I expect that next year I'll look back on this year the same way.

This year, my schedule has improved immensely. I'm literally having to tell assignors no because I don't have any more room in my schedule.

I think what people have said about quitting if it's not fun is probably right. But before you pull the trigger, try to accept basketball officiating on its terms. Happiness is not in getting what you want, it's in wanting what get.

[SMEngmann]

I think everyone's made good points in this discussion and the main thing is that politics is certainly a factor, but a minimal factor. After all, the assignors have to deal with any problems that arise out of games and they're not gonna put someone on a game that they think may cause a problem. I think politics plays a larger role for the older officials on the way out than the young people coming up, and a lot of that has to do with the familiarity and game management skills that the older guys bring.

As for getting the better games, I am currently in 3 associations and I am getting a full varsity schedule this year, my 3rd year. After 1.5 years, I was lucky enough to get decent varsity action, mainly because I worked games every day and was available at the last minute for a rivalry game when someone went down. I have a tape of that game, and although at the time I thought I did great, with another year and close to 250 games more experience, I realize how much better I could have done. I still review that game tape if I think I'm getting too big of an ego, and although I certainly didn't call a bad game even a year's experience makes me question some "quality of calls" issues as well as game management.

There are several reasons, from my perspective, why assignors do things the way they do them. Getting a bunch of JV games doesn't necessarily mean you're not a varsity quality official. A former D1 ref who I worked with who still works the big time HS games here made a big impact on me when he told me that "JV games are great because they teach you how to be the man. If you're working varsity you're generally with a horse who can make anything run smoothly, but in JV games you learn to take charge and manage situations." Officiating basketball is more than simply calling the game and the big time referees have all the other factors that the rest of us need to work on before we get those games. A lot of guys phone in the lower level games and the rec league stuff and waste a great chance to improve. I tend to think of assignors as basically the coach of a team, ideally putting officials in situations to improve, but the officials need to make the effort to do that. It is my belief that when I'm good enough to do the marquee games, I will be doing them.

Of course politics plays some role in everything and getting to know the assignor and the senior guys in the association is huge. But doing so, watching a lot of games, HS and college and talking to the vets I think helps you grow as an official as well. JMHO.

[cowbyfan1]

Thanks for the advise all. I will give the camp thing a try next summer.
I'm not saying I am looking for top level varsity games in my second year but some small school stuff would be nice. I have called higher level JV that puts low level varsity to shame. I don't even need alot of games, heck even one every other week is fine.
I do enjoy calling mainly cuz being around the kids is fun, even the low level Jr High "worst basketball on the face of the earth" stuff. It is all the side stuff that is bringing me down on basketball. BTW, no it is not a lack of team player thing as this is the first I have voiced anything about it. If I get a call from anyone, and I am available, I work. I have driven over an hour for a single freshman game before.
I just really hate that there is no evaluation going on to know what I need to improve on. I don't want to be one of these officials that after 5 or 6 years is horrible and does not have a clue and think that I do.

Anyways.. thanks again all. I will give it atleast 1 more year.