Does being short hurt my chances of officiating at the college level?

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by ChrisSportsFan
What if you're a tall caucasian male who tans well, runs athletically and is married to a woman who works with a black female that lives near a major airport?

Can you officate?

Peace

[rockyroad]

Originally posted by ChrisSportsFan
What if you're a tall caucasian male who tans well, runs athletically and is married to a woman who works with a black female that lives near a major airport?

You might as well take up lacrosse reffing!

[agmattbballref]

WOW...I guess, it is a geographical thing...because in all my years as an African American male, I have never been told that I have the look. I have also attended Div. I college level clinics, and I have never been told that I have the look. I am 6'1" 185 lbs. with less than 10% body fat. I can see your point at what the clinicians are saying. I am not here to defend that, because in my mind that is an indefensible argument, but I will say that I, as well as many other officials I have known, have been denied opportunities, which on the surface seem to be racially motivated. Additionally, JRut makes a goood point about the military. I have had the plesure of working in a # of associations, and I have never felt like I was welcomed with open arms by the senior officials in the association, simply because I was in the military. I can only assume that see me as an interloper trying to horn in on their prime time games. While, I have only one agenda, to get better and bring credit to the science of officiating. I enjoy it immensely, and my love and passion for the game is what keeps me going despite those obstacles.

[M&M Guy]

Originally posted by ChrisSportsFan
What if you're a tall caucasian male who tans well, runs athletically and is married to a woman who works with a black female that lives near a major airport?

Sorry - tanlines will be your downfall.

[ChuckElias]

I can only relate my own experience; but my experience reflects exactly, and I mean exactly, what Rut has said. I'm 5'7", 162 lbs and the first time I went to camp with the hope of impressing a D1 assignor, this is what happened. . .

First day of camp, the assignor stresses that he is there to teach officiating, not to hire officials. He hopes to tell guys what they need to do to reach the "next level", whatever that means for each official. He looks right at me and says, "Now you, you need to grow another 6 inches". First day!

Well, for the rest of camp, I worked as hard as I could and I had a good camp, but that comment gnawed at me. So on the last day, I went to the assignor and asked him point blank how badly my lack of height would hurt my chances at ever cracking D1. He said (as close as I can remember it), "It used to be that if you were a 6'3" athletic black guy who could run, you'd be a home run. Everybody hired those guys b/c it was the look they wanted. But now, they're more interested in whether you can call the game well and consistently. Five, eight years ago you probably wouldn't have had a shot. Your chances are better now."

So just to mirror what Rut said, the look is important; but not as important as "Can you call a game?" Again, that's just my experience.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally posted by ChuckElias
I'm 5'7"

You're 5'7"????

And all these years I thought you were short because of the jokes that get made around here. 5-7 isn't short.

There are 3 officials here in Ontario that ref CIS (our NCAA) and they are about 5-3, 5-5 and 5-5. When they do a 3-person game, it is really funny to watch. LOL

Next thing I know, I'll find out that Rut really is black.

[Camron Rust]

Originally posted by ReadyToRef
I agree with Rut. At the first classroom meeting of the first camp (Women's side) I went to, the clinician (Doug Cloud) stated we are looking for officials in this order: 1. African-American females 2. White females 3. African-American males and 4. White males.

Why does this ording not outrage everyone? I thought the goal was equality and hiring without regard to race or gender.

What if someone were to state that they were hiring in this order: 1. White Males 2. White Females 3. African-American Males 4. African-American Females. There would be no end to the ourage (and rightly so).

Why is discrimination right if it occurs in one direction bu not in the other?

What if the teams were required to have a composition that matched the area of the team. If that were the case, most teams would have to replace over half of their players.

All jobs...players, officials, coaches, etc. should be filled strictly based on ability...NOT gender or race...EVER.

[Edited by Camron Rust on Apr 28th, 2005 at 05:17 PM]

[agmattbballref]

All jobs...players, officials, coaches, etc. should be filled strictly based on ability...NOT gender or race...EVER.

[Edited by Camron Rust on Apr 28th, 2005 at 05:17 PM] [/B][/QUOTE]

I do not think this is the correct forum to argue the merits of affirmitive actions. However, I will agree, that jobs should not be filled based on gender or race, ever. The key word being ever. Affirmitive action was/is a program put in place to rectify the wrongs of a system that had oppressed those individuals who had been denied opportunities in the past. Most officials do not understand this concept simply because they are driven by ideas such as fair play, morality and integrity. However, there are still those among us, who unfortunately see the color of a person's skin before they can hear they hear the blare of his whistle...Unfortunate...but true.

[JugglingReferee]

The province of Ontario went through this for a period of at least 5 years. I've heard they're getting away form it, but I will believe it when i see it.

The mentality was that if you could run and blow a whistle at the same time, and had *!*$, you're bound to move forward.

Many men could officiate circles around these women.

[brainbrian]

Actually, the smaller you are, the faster you appear to be moving, even if you're moving at the same rate of someone bigger.

[canuckrefguy]

Originally posted by Camron Rust

Why does this ording not outrage everyone? I thought the goal was equality and hiring without regard to race or gender.

What if someone were to state that they were hiring in this order: 1. White Males 2. White Females 3. African-American Males 4. African-American Females. There would be no end to the ourage (and rightly so).

Why is discrimination right if it occurs in one direction bu not in the other?

What if the teams were required to have a composition that matched the area of the team. If that were the case, most teams would have to replace over half of their players.

All jobs...players, officials, coaches, etc. should be filled strictly based on ability...NOT gender or race...EVER.

[Edited by Camron Rust on Apr 28th, 2005 at 05:17 PM]

Uh-oh....this is where the thread goes off the rails....

[JugglingReferee]

But your contribution to the conservation of momentum is decreased, unless your width is increased to make up for the decreased height.

[drothamel]

I look at it this way: At least the camp evaluators and assingors told you the deal. I don't necessarily agree with it, but if you let me know what the rules of the game are, I can decide how to play.

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by Camron Rust


Why does this ording not outrage everyone? I thought the goal was equality and hiring without regard to race or gender.

What if someone were to state that they were hiring in this order: 1. White Males 2. White Females 3. African-American Males 4. African-American Females. There would be no end to the ourage (and rightly so).

Why is discrimination right if it occurs in one direction bu not in the other?

What if the teams were required to have a composition that matched the area of the team. If that were the case, most teams would have to replace over half of their players.

All jobs...players, officials, coaches, etc. should be filled strictly based on ability...NOT gender or race...EVER.

Tell that to Ole' Miss several years back. They specifically and publicly asked for an African-American Head Basketball Coach. They wanted an African-American because of the school's history and racial tension. Most of the Mr. Basketball winners in Mississippi happened to be African-American. Being the flagship university for Mississippi and losing the top players to other state universities, the Ole' Miss made a decision to hire only an African-American as their basketball coach. Why, because an African-American in their mind would be better for the job trying to recruit and create and environment for African-American players. Ole' Miss hired and African-American coach and he worked there for several years. I think his replacement was African-American as well.

Qualifications are always subjective. If I run a school district in a largely Hispanic community, I know I would rather have Hispanic teachers than a white male if I had a choice to teach those kids. I think assigns look at this the same way. You do not have to like it. But it is the reality. I know if I want to hire a contractor to work on my house, I know I can pick only African-American contractors if I am spending my money. I can hire any independent contractor I like.

Peace

[ChuckElias]

I meant to say this in my previous post, but just forgot. Your height may be an issue in getting to the D1 level, but I doubt seriously that it would be much of an issue in just getting into D3 and juco ball.

The original question, I think, was about getting into a college schedule of any sort, not just D1. And the answer to that question is, I don't think your height will hurt you much.

Moving up the ladder may be a different question.