After school

[fonzzy07]

Hey
I am a junior in highschool and currently a second year ref in a rec league. I am beggining to see some of the higer games this league has to offer, 7th and 8th grade A and B division games. I have found my self greatly enjoying refing games and think hey it would be nice to do this after college. While I know this is a competitive field what can i do know to have the greatest chance down the road. Thanks

[CaliOne]

How about, not waiting until after college to move on with your referee career. Also consider taking a basic english/grammar class in college.. I'm just playing..hope that's ok.

[SMEngmann]

Agreed, don't wait until after college. College in fact is a great time to start doing HS ball because you make your own schedule and will have availability that you might not have when you start a job, so it's a great time to get your feet wet. Plus, it'll help pay some of your expenses and it's a much better side job than what any of your friends will have. Many a ref has paid his/her way through college officiating.

[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....

[Junker]

Get registered with your state. I'm not sure how it is where you are, but around here, high school kids can get registered and work middle school games. Pretty decent paycheck for a high schooler. Other than that, follow through with what the rest said. Find some good veterans that are willing to help you out.

[fonzzy07]

Hey guys thanxs for the help. I am registered with the state and do 7th and 8th grade games at one area school.Sorry i left that out One other question. Is after this rec league ends in March I have no games till next december, where else can I get games?

[26 Year Gap]

Maybe some lower level AAU games in the 'off season'. My first stint was in college. I did intramural games. I took the IAABO class and passed the test. I did jr high and elementary games. I did rec league games. I did JV games and I did some girls varsity games. Back then there was NO AP ARROW. I stopped after 2 seasons and now wish I hadn't. Hence my username. While your buddies are stacking crates at the supermarket for 6 bucks an hour, you can do something you like for much more.

[Snake~eyes]

I started young so let me give you some advice.

First as some have said don't wait till out of college. You have a HUGE advantage over other people starting because you are starting at an extremely young age.

You are too young to get HS games now but as soon as you graduate from HS you should be eligible to officiate these games the following season.

Right now may not be working with great officials, if you do get the oppurtunity talk to them as much as possible and suck up information like a sponge.

You are not going to see great plays at the 7/8th grade level, your judgement will improve but when you get to HS it will be different. You have very competitive teams (not always) that can play and some real athletes. You will see much harder plays to officiate. But why wait until then to seee these type of plays, you can go to Varsity games and try and watch the officials. Watch the calls they make, how they carry themselves, their mechanics, communication, their style... all of that.

Here's what you should do now in your Junior and Senior year on the court. Always work your best game possible, you never know who could be watching. Work very hard on your mechanics. If you have perfected your mechanics before you get to the HS level you wil have a HUGE advantage. You want your mechanics to look smooth, crisp and not rushed. You can easily work on this in your games and in the mirror. Show authority when you report to the table, don't be afraid to speak up. You want them to see you as someone who is incharge but someone they don't notice. These are some of the things I see newer rec officials need to work on. If you think your mechanics are good now I can go into some pretty good detail on things which make them even better that you probably haven't even though about.

And just for some things after you graduate and once you do start working HS ball. Keep your mouth shut and your ears open. Don't talk bad about people, don't get involved in that type of stuff because it will always come back to you. When someone is giving you some advice just nod your head and say thankyou. You don't have to agree with it but the second you reject them they will never try to help you again. Accept and work as many games as possible.

Again, you have a big advantage going for you starting at this age. Many people will tell you they wished they started that early. You have great potential to work higher levels, you just have to work hard. The sky's the limit.

Just don't let officiating get in the way of your family, school (grades), girlfriend, job. That kind of stuff.

Good luck out there.

[Edited by Snake~eyes on Jan 11th, 2006 at 09:46 PM]

[fonzzy07]

Thanks I def won't wait until after school. How do i get involved in lower level AAU games. Also with being in these rec leagues I will often ref say a 7th grade A game and then a 3rd grade game, how do I get ready for that next game, it seems like I blow my whistle too much for ticky stuff

[Forksref]

Reffing is a great way to earn spending (beer) money in college. It can lead to a longtime hobby.

[Junker]

Is the beer money or the officiating the lifelong hobby? Both in my case!