Hey everyone,

I have a question... Im a first year Cadet in an Assc. and will be officiating CYO (Catholic Youth Org.) games. What is the properwear to these games? Come in your stripes? Expect a place to change? Thanks

Pat

Pat, you need to phone someone in your association and ask them what to expect. We really can't answer those types of questions. They're local issues.

While it may seem appropriate, I would suggest not coming to any game dressed. The brief moments it takes to change (even in a men's room or broom closet) provides you with an extra layer of professionalism. Even in CYO, you want to be known as a guy who does it "right."

I also find that officials who come dressed are often the ones who come late. We all have internal clocks that tell us when we "really" have to be somewhere. Guys who come dressed always arrive five minutes late because they didn't leave 10 minutes early so they could change at the game.

Give yourself the extra 10 minutes. Your career will thank you for it.

Around here, most guys go to CYO games in their uniform. Many of the places don't have anyplace to change. We don't tell guys/gals to change at the game site unless their going to a HS game.

Ok. Thanks

What Jurassic said - ask someone in your association that did it last year. That said, if its anything like CYO is here I wouldn't expect too much. Typically they use whatever GS/MS gyms are available & most do not have a separate dressing area for officials. The years I did CYO here I always went dressed - makes it a lot easier.

Around here, we go to rec games in uniform. For scholastic games, we usually wear a coat & tie.

I thought the point was to <i>not</i> attract attention to ourselves :D!!!

Like others have said, call first and see how it's done there. I work alot of rec ball year round and usually show up dressed to that stuff but with a sweatshirt on and will change into my court shoes at the site. That's how it is done here. Also, we're not expected to wear Sansabelt pants to this stuff which makes it easier.

The RainMaker scores! I am removing the size 13 from my mouth right now. :)

Lower level stuff where I'm not sure if I'll have a room, I usually wear my tights (easy ladies on the board!) and my stripes under a sweatshirt and running pants. If there's no room to change in, I can put on my polyester pants and the rest of my gear in a corner of the gym somewhere without violating any decency laws. V games, business casual at least.

Dittos

I had a 9th grade girls game last year at a local jr. high school. When asked about where we should change, the coaches conferred for a minute, then one escorted us to the girls PE locker room, "'cuz we're already dressed and won't be coming back in here."

Fortunately I was still decent when in walked just some female student and her mother.

Add that to my lengthy list of less than completely positive experiences while trying to change onsite. BTW, my personal favorite is a tossup between the day the brain-damaged team manager walked out of the coach's office leaving the door to the gym wide open while I towled off or trying to change in the only mens' room while the entire floor is covered with a 1/2 inch deep puddle of I don't wanna know what. Come to think of it, they both happened in the same school.

My firm policy now is to come dressed to any game where I don't know for sure I'll have a proper place to dress.