After school

[bgtg19]

There are three things you can do right now that will improve your chances down the road.

(1) Get/stay in shape and learn/use excellent mechanics. "Young" refs appear periodically, and virtually all of them are allowed a little latitude (by other refs and by assignors - unfortunately, coaches don't subscribe to the same journals...) for their judgment. After all, it does frequently take a while for judgment to mature. But I have noticed that those young officials who get on the fast track are those young officials who "look good." That is, they have an athletic appearance and good mechanics.

(2) Learn the rules. At least once per year, read the rule book all the way through and then, during the season, read sections of it and constantly consult it whenever you have a question.

(3) Ref as many games as you can. Early on, it really doesn't matter the level. Just get on the court as often as possible. The more games you get under your belt, the more possible it is for the game to "slow down" for you, even as the games themselves get faster.

Good luck!

Oh, and I agree that there's no reason to wait until after college....