It's why I started the thread
 

Being a first year ref, I am doing JV, not V. I usually stay for the V game. I sit in the stands and listen to the fans. Weight is the FIRST thing that is usually mentioned about a ref. If bad calls ensue, its the "fat ref" or "fat refs" that are out of position, or, haven't played the game so they aren't as good as refs that have, etc. This is especially true of 2-man teams.

Not to twist this too far
 

Do you all think female refs suffer with credibility issues (especially in boys games) because of their gender?

Positioning
 

Here are my observations are the weight issue. Without a doubt there are refs who are fat who have far superior reffing skills than I have. I sometimes wonder if they are able to put those skills into action because they can't get to the position they need to be in to use those skills.

I also watch lots of varsity games. It is a strange sight seeing the kids running and gunning and the ref struggling to keep up .

I am 6 ft 3 and 230 lbs but in pretty decent shape. So i look like the poster child for the Republican party, sorry i'm a Democrat, much to my fathers frustration. LOL I believe people treat me different becuase of how I look. I believe I get instant credibility ,then they see me in action. LOL

My point is , of course it matters, whether thats fair or not well .........

Relative to the two preceding replies:

In truth, being overweight is not a good thing. It can hinder performance. On the other hand, so can alcoholism, drug use, smoking and countless other complusions such as temper, greed, prejudice and PRIDE.

If an in-shape Ref has red hair: Some fan will be calling him Howdy-Doody.

If an in-shape Ref looks perfect: Some fan will yell, "Hey, Ashton Kucher....nice call."

A wiseA@@ fan will usually find something to needle a Ref about. As for an overweight guy never playing....two words.....Oscar Robinson. Many of us don't look the same at 55 as we did at 25. I could care less about what a fan thinks of my built - it's enough trying to get calls right.

In my Y League, the Women Refs get no less respect than the men. We use IABBO Refs for the 9-12 League and quite a few women come out. Never seen a problem.

My IAABO board once had a D1 assignor as the speaker at our end-of-year banquet. At one point, he patted his ample tummy and said, "You are looking at the last of the fat referees!"

He's the guy who makes the decisions about who works his league. . . FWIW.

JCROW
 

How right you are. Had a game where , in a pretty empty gym. thought it would be funny to refer to me as Elvis all night. I love my sideburns.

Ran into him on the way out, his 5 ft 6 in,fat, balding a$$ had not a peep to say to me as he scurried in the other direction LOL

Re: Not to twist this too far
 

I know some female refs that I would do any game with. I also know some female refs I wouldn't do a 3rd grade game with. This is no different than male refs.

Oh, I know a few female refs I would want with me if a fight breaks out too. :D

When did we change to what nicknames fans give officials? It sounds like you are getting defensive now.

Re: Not to twist this too far
 

Officials are judged on everything. Race, Gender, age, weight, background, where you live and anything else you can come up with. So of course a female ref is judged by her ability more harshly when working Boy's games. I have seen it happen for myself while working with a female partner. Violet Palmer had several articles and ESPN Stories about her working in the NBA. Do you know of any other officials where they asked many NBA stars what they think of one particular official (they also talked about Dee Kantner at the time too)?

Peace

Re: Not to twist this too far
 

Of course they do. How easy is it for a male coach to think (or even say), "stay out of the man's game" or some ridiculous comment like that? Again though, it's PERCEPTION. We should be concerned about performance. Perception can be overcome by consistent, excellent performance.

Back to the weight thing: I still enjoy the workout of a 2-person game, even though I rarely work one. 3-person makes speed far less important. Assignors should want the best officials on the game. If excess weight makes that official inferior (mobility issues) fine... but to not give a high-level game to an overweight official who is a great performer, that is just ignorant.

Z

"How easy is it for a male coach to think (or even say), "stay out of the man's game" or some ridiculous comment like that?"

Off topic - Would you T someone for saying something like this? It sounds "personal" (as in one of the Three Ps.)

[Edited by hooper on Jan 17th, 2006 at 01:13 PM]

I have been denied girls varsity assignments from one of my assigners due to my weight. Meanwhile I have worked boys varsity games in the inner city and two other leagues for the last few years without any complaints (brought to my attention anyway). So I can definetely say that it is taken into account with some people.

I have only heard two comments about my weight. The first from the former assignment secretary of our chapter who is also a bit heavy. His comment was "we both need to lose some weight...you seem to be the only one doing it."

The other was from a partner after a game. He was complaining that after 13 years he is getting mostly sub varsity and has not been given a reason and how he was looking for someone to help him change that. I told him I only worried about the things I could control...figuring doing my best on the floor, spending time honing my rules knowledge, working to improve mechanics and getting my weight back into control would cause my schedule to improve. His reply was "You seem sharp and have good mechanics. As for your weight...sure, keep losing. You may be called fat by some, but you can change that. I had a veteran partner last week that will always be a smarta$$ jerk and a lousy official because he refuses to work on the craft. I will call with you anytime."

I appreciated the comment...just took it with a grain of salt. If you believe the compliments...you have to believe all the negatives said as well.

Our appearance does make a difference in the way we are perceived. It's the total package. Weight is just one of the factors -- many others have been mentioned above -- but it *is* a factor. Some of us have weights that are naturally controlled. Some of us are forced to, and can, control our weight; still others of us have more difficulty doing so and some of the reasons for those difficulties may be largely outside an individual's control.

If we are serious about officiating, we should do all that is within our control to improve. And if we are serious about respect and relationships, we need to be understanding of others who might not have it as easy as we do.

Rogaine for everyone! (The bald head is such an easy target.)