Advice for rookie officials

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by Chess Ref
I really am enjoying this thread.

JRut- I hear what you are saying. I also think for me right now its more important that I work on keeping my games under control. If in 5 years I still am calling everything well then I screwed the pooch somewhere along the way. And the games I have now are the games I will be getting for the next 4/5 years. So lots of time to figure out 'Stuff" like Adv/Dis.

SmE-Pretty close to my new found way of thinking. I mean I let it get to the point of Frosh girls were figuring out anything less than Assault & Battery, then they could do it. So this year my goals are

A. Keeping games under control. Game management with coaches.
B. Strong mechanics / strong presence. I have body postures issues.
C. Adv/Disad

A. With freshman coaches you should have lots of opportunity to work on this.

B. Good plan for everyone at any level.

C. With freshmen girls this might be tough. Maybe work towards keeping a patient whistle but taking the obvious ones immediately. If that makes sense.

Good luck & have fun!

[JRutledge]

First of all I have a right to any opinion that I state. You do not have to agree with that opinion. We all do not come from the same experiences in our officiating life. I do not expect a new official to completely grasp much of anything, but I would expect them to start working on the concept of advantage/disadvantage early in their career. Those officials might be put into situation where they have to perform and if they do not step up they will not get many more shots.

Everyone can get into this lowering of expectations of younger officials, but in some conferences where I live younger officials only have a few years to prove they can work. If they cannot prove they can work, they will not get a shot. We do not have the massive shortage of officials in this area. I have heard multiple assignors say here they have 3000 officials to cover a single game; they do not need guys that cannot work. Officiating is the one thing where people expect us to be perfect the first time we work. No one cares if you are newer or not. If you cannot perform, they will find someone else. When we run camps we teach 3 Person in most of those camps and we expect people to grasp those concepts early. When they do not understand certain concepts (advantage/disadvantage as an example) they will not advance. In some cases they might be dropped from working HS games at all.

Peace

[crazy voyager]

it was the opposit for me, I started running. Now I'm walking, my first games were blown apart, by me :P but I'm learning more and more how to put the bar, still quite new though

Edit: that was metaphoricly speaking, I'm still running litteraly :P and I was when I started (I'm not running backwards now though)

[Edited by crazy voyager on Nov 20th, 2005 at 01:27 PM]

[blindzebra]

Originally posted by JRutledge
First of all I have a right to any opinion that I state. You do not have to agree with that opinion. We all do not come from the same experiences in our officiating life. I do not expect a new official to completely grasp much of anything, but I would expect them to start working on the concept of advantage/disadvantage early in their career. Those officials might be put into situation where they have to perform and if they do not step up they will not get many more shots.

Everyone can get into this lowering of expectations of younger officials, but in some conferences where I live younger officials only have a few years to prove they can work. If they cannot prove they can work, they will not get a shot. We do not have the massive shortage of officials in this area. I have heard multiple assignors say here they have 3000 officials to cover a single game; they do not need guys that cannot work. Officiating is the one thing where people expect us to be perfect the first time we work. No one cares if you are newer or not. If you cannot perform, they will find someone else. When we run camps we teach 3 Person in most of those camps and we expect people to grasp those concepts early. When they do not understand certain concepts (advantage/disadvantage as an example) they will not advance. In some cases they might be dropped from working HS games at all.

Peace

Gee, my opinion and where I live, never saw that coming.

The vast majority of the country is dealing with a shortage of officials, I know where you live is completely isolated from the experiences of the rest of us, but...

In any case teaching advanced concepts to beginning officials is still ridiculous.

There is a reason first year medical students are not performing surgery.

New officials need to have the mechanics and the basic rules ingrained. When they are not worrying about the basics, they can absorb the more advanced.

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by blindzebra


Gee, my opinion and where I live, never saw that coming.

The vast majority of the country is dealing with a shortage of officials, I know where you live is completely isolated from the experiences of the rest of us, but...

In any case teaching advanced concepts to beginning officials is still ridiculous.

There is a reason first year medical students are not performing surgery.

New officials need to have the mechanics and the basic rules ingrained. When they are not worrying about the basics, they can absorb the more advanced.

If you feel they cannot grasp anything but "stand here and stand there" instruction, then you do that. When I work with newer officials I tell the exactly what I think they need to know so they can get better today. In all my associations that I belong to we do cater to the needs of newer officials, but they also hear the same things we teach the veterans. If you feel they cannot absorb more than very basic stuff than that is your problem. Officiating is not rocket science. We are not talking about saving the world thru officiating. Trying to equate officiating with a medical student is very stupid if you ask me. We are talking about a concept that is not only in the rulebook, it is what the rules are based on if any of us were to attend any camp or lecture on officiating. I would not expect a younger official to master a concept like advantage/disadvantage, but what is the harm in mentioning it? I know if I work a varsity game with a younger officials he or she better have some idea of what to call, it is not just his or her butt on the line. If they screw up, we all screw up. They are going to have to step up. Maybe the reason areas like yours does not have a bunch of officials is the fact you treat them like dummies and you do not want to share with them things that work. Maybe it is the old boy network trying to keep officials from passing them by.

Peace

[blindzebra]

Originally posted by JRutledge

If you feel they cannot grasp anything but "stand here and stand there" instruction, then you do that. When I work with newer officials I tell the exactly what I think they need to know so they can get better today. In all my associations that I belong to we do cater to the needs of newer officials, but they also hear the same things we teach the veterans. If you feel they cannot absorb more than very basic stuff than that is your problem. Officiating is not rocket science. We are not talking about saving the world thru officiating. Trying to equate officiating with a medical student is very stupid if you ask me. We are talking about a concept that is not only in the rulebook, it is what the rules are based on if any of us were to attend any camp or lecture on officiating. I would not expect a younger official to master a concept like advantage/disadvantage, but what is the harm in mentioning it? I know if I work a varsity game with a younger officials he or she better have some idea of what to call, it is not just his or her butt on the line. If they screw up, we all screw up. They are going to have to step up. Maybe the reason areas like yours does not have a bunch of officials is the fact you treat them like dummies and you do not want to share with them things that work. Maybe it is the old boy network trying to keep officials from passing them by.

Peace

New officials don't work varsity, so stop spinning what is being said. There is a MAJOR DIFFERENCE between first time on the court and inexperienced.

In most places that brand new official is working middle school and freshman games. Most times they have another new or inexperienced official with them.

Arizona is one of the areas in the country with the most growth in new officials and one of the highest retention rates in the country. I'm actively involved in our mentoring program, so perhaps before you start implying good old boy sabotage, you do a little research next time.

Their interaction with veteran officials is usually limited to meetings and quick evaluations and suggestions at the half and between games.

Not a time frame where you load up an official with a laundry list of do's and dont's. That time is best used with major issues or getting them in position to see the play.

Talking about a patient whistle isn't helping if they are not blowing their whistle or you can't even hear their whistle.

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by blindzebra


New officials don't work varsity, so stop spinning what is being said. There is a MAJOR DIFFERENCE between first time on the court and inexperienced.

In most places that brand new official is working middle school and freshman games. Most times they have another new or inexperienced official with them.

My very first assigned game I worked was a JV/Sophomore Prelim game. Before I had my license I had a HS game scheduled. Now I worked some Junior High Games and even 5th and 6th grade games before the actual HS season started, but there was nothing holding me back from working HS game. An IHSA Official's license is so that officials can work HS games, not any game. I can work any game I like outside of HS without an IHSA license. Officials in my state will work anything

Originally posted by blindzebra
Arizona is one of the areas in the country with the most growth in new officials and one of the highest retention rates in the country. I'm actively involved in our mentoring program, so perhaps before you start implying good old boy sabotage, you do a little research next time.

Their interaction with veteran officials is usually limited to meetings and quick evaluations and suggestions at the half and between games.

Not a time frame where you load up an official with a laundry list of do's and dont's. That time is best used with major issues or getting them in position to see the play.

What is your point? So you think differently than I do on this. So what if you have a different opinion. You can do whatever you like in Arizona. I do not live in Arizona. You do not live in Illinois. We do not work under the same systems of assigning and officiating. We do not have the same level of basketball I can assure you of that.

Originally posted by blindzebra
Talking about a patient whistle isn't helping if they are not blowing their whistle or you can't even hear their whistle.

All I said was why is mentioning a patient whistle a crime? I guess asking a question is too much for you to handle. If you feel that a newer official cannot grasp that concept, do not teach it. I on the other hand will mention it and I know many officials that grasp the concept of advantage/disadvantage very well. I know a couple of guys that work in the CBA right now because they understood that concept and many other concepts that were very advanced. I guess you would know.

Peace

[blindzebra]

Originally posted by JRutledge

My very first assigned game I worked was a JV/Sophomore Prelim game. Before I had my license I had a HS game scheduled. Now I worked some Junior High Games and even 5th and 6th grade games before the actual HS season started, but there was nothing holding me back from working HS game. An IHSA Official's license is so that officials can work HS games, not any game. I can work any game I like outside of HS without an IHSA license. Officials in my state will work anything

What is your point? So you think differently than I do on this. So what if you have a different opinion. You can do whatever you like in Arizona. I do not live in Arizona. You do not live in Illinois. We do not work under the same systems of assigning and officiating. We do not have the same level of basketball I can assure you of that.

All I said was why is mentioning a patient whistle a crime? I guess asking a question is too much for you to handle. If you feel that a newer official cannot grasp that concept, do not teach it. I on the other hand will mention it and I know many officials that grasp the concept of advantage/disadvantage very well. I know a couple of guys that work in the CBA right now because they understood that concept and many other concepts that were very advanced. I guess you would know.

Peace

We are not talking about you and your resume. Nor do we care how advanced the basketball is in the great state of Illinois.

You do know that the sun does not rise and set because of you, right?

The level of arrogance in your posts is unbelievable.

You are a credit to officials everywhere, and we are all honored by your brilliant opinions.

{sarcasm off}

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally posted by blindzebra
[/B]

There is a reason first year medical students are not performing surgery.

[/B][/QUOTE]Would that be the same reason that first year officials aren't performing surgery either?

Maybe?

[IREFU2]

3rd Year Official's Insight

This is my 3rd year call and I must admit my first year was quite challaging. I was a basketball player and got tired of not getting the calls I thought I should have been getting so I put on the strips and started with the young kids and worked my way up until I joined a boards. But the first thing I did was "go to camp". I had several camps under my belt before the high school season started and that helped me a whole lot. I passed the test with a 76 the first time and continue on throught the season and by my second year, I was getting a shot at some varsity games. I even dared to go to a college camp my second year and almost got picked up too. Now I am in my third year and I will most likely have a full varsity schedule and I am in the SEC Developmental League too. So the key is work, work, work and get a general understanding of the rules first and then take each rule and try to get a deeper understanding. Thats my 2 cents worth!

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by blindzebra


We are not talking about you and your resume. Nor do we care how advanced the basketball is in the great state of Illinois.

You do know that the sun does not rise and set because of you, right?

The level of arrogance in your posts is unbelievable.

You are a credit to officials everywhere, and we are all honored by your brilliant opinions.

{sarcasm off}

This is not about me this is about you and your lack of confidence in your own officiating ability and teaching skills. I do not recall that I was not responding to anything you said or asking you any question about this topic in the original threads. Byyeee Byyeeee. (NO sarcasm )

Peace

[blindzebra]

Originally posted by Jurassic Referee

There is a reason first year medical students are not performing surgery.

[/B]

Would that be the same reason that first year officials aren't performing surgery either?

Maybe? [/B][/QUOTE]

No, not if you are JRut.

He was elbow deep doing open heart his first day, because that is the way they do it in Illinois.

Probably why the malpractice insurance is much higher there.

[RookieDude]

Origninally posted by IREFU2
I even dared to go to a college camp my second year and almost got picked up too. Now I am in my third year and I will most likely have a full varsity schedule and I am in the SEC Developmental League too.

LOL...I call BULL$hiTT.

Maybe I was just a slow learner...but, there was no way I was ready for a college schedule in my second year! And in all my years of officiating, I haven't seen a second year official ready for anything close to Varsity or College ball.

Heck, it takes two to three years to get a full JV schedule in my area.

IREFU2...IMO, you've been reading to many JRUT posts.

[SeanFitzRef]

Originally posted by IREFU2
3rd Year Official's Insight

Now I am in my third year and I will most likely have a full varsity schedule and I am in the SEC Developmental League too.

They must love to get 'em young, dumb, and full of $h1# in the .... wait for it.... SEC!!!

[IREFU2]

Originally posted by RookieDude

LOL...I call BULL$hiTT.

Maybe I was just a slow learner...but, there was no way I was ready for a college schedule in my second year! And in all my years of officiating, I haven't seen a second year official ready for anything close to Varsity or College ball.

Heck, it takes two to three years to get a full JV schedule in my area.

IREFU2...IMO, you've been reading to many JRUT posts.

not at all, I am not bragging or anything. I am in your corner, if you work hard you can achieve any goal. I only voice opinions of my own.