Class 5A State Finals--Florida

[JRutledge]

I just happen to be watching Fox College Sports (Atlantic) this afternoon because I am bored. The Class 5A State Finals are on TV and there are 3 women working the game. According to the commentators this is the first time an all-female officiating crew is working a boy's state final in Florida.

This made me think about other states. Has this happen in other states. I cannot even think of a single female official to work a post season boy's game here, let alone a state final.

I also noticed another odd occurrence. In our Class AA (Big schools of a two class system) State Finals, there was a coach that won a 3rd place game and most of the tournament he was wearing a sweat suit and not a business suit or business look like all the other coaches. Now when I was watching this game from Florida, both coaches were in what I would call "business casual" at best. Now where I live it is very typical for coaches to be in suits for varsity contest and at the worst they were a sweater that looks like a Bobby Knight style look. Was the business casual look common in the state of Florida or other warm area states or is this just something unusual?

BTW, one of the coaches got T'd up.

If you could not tell already, I am really bored.

Peace

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

If you could not tell already, I am really bored.

Peace

Why aren't you watching the MLB Celebrity Softball Game? Or, if you did, who won?

Jeff, I'm not sure if you know, but has an all-female crew even worked one of the girls' finals here in IL?

I know of a couple of women officials that would do a fine job on the boys side, but for some reason, they don't do many boys HS games. I think it might be because the better ones get taken to do women's college, and the few HS games they do will probably be girls.

[tjones1]

Wearing a sweat suit during the game is very unprofessional in my opinion. I remember when it happened it made news down in this area. Oh well...whatever floats his boat.

I would say you're onto something Jim. I doubt there has been an all women crew work the Boys State Finals just because the good ones are working college ball.

[zebraman]

Here in Washington State, I can only recall one woman who has ever worked a boys game at a state tournament.

It is very common to have women working the girl's state tournaments and many of them have worked state championship games. Many of our state's best female college officials work a fairly full high school schedule as well.

Z

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by zebraman

It is very common to have women working the girl's state tournaments and many of them have worked state championship games. Many of our state's best female college officials work a fairly full high school schedule as well.Z

Could someone please bring these enlightened attitudes down here to our Neanderthal neck of the woods? We're lucky to have women refs working even the playoff games on the girls side. In fact, the way things go, we're lucky to have any women refs in high school at all.

Eeekk. Sorry, folks. This one pushed my buttons. It's been a very unpleasant summer politically. I promise not to rant again for at least a week or two. And to think seriously about switching up to Washington.

[RonRef]

In Wisconsin we have never had a female work any postseason assignments on the boys side, to my knowledge, and we have a female in charge of our basketball here.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

Could someone please bring these enlightened attitudes down here to our Neanderthal neck of the woods? We're lucky to have women refs working even the playoff games on the girls side. In fact, the way things go, we're lucky to have any women refs in high school at all.

Eeekk. Sorry, folks. This one pushed my buttons. It's been a very unpleasant summer politically. I promise not to rant again for at least a week or two. And to think seriously about switching up to Washington.

Juulie, I hope you're not completely serious (read all this before you pass judgement on my statements).

While there have been few women make it to the tourney, there have been few qualified to pick from (and I have voted for all of them). The best upcoming women officials I've seen don't stick around long enough to even get on the ballot, much less get in a tourney. Look at all the men who went to the tourney this year: every single one of them has been officiating 15-20+ YEARS....you don't get there quickly....even as a male. I think I can count on one hand the number of females that are in the PBOA that have been officiating that long. Even the next 20-30 officials on the list have worked 10-15+ years. The women that do continue officiating often moved on to college ball or have moved away.

The typical good official (male or female) will be working 4-7 years in the PBOA before getting a varsity game (of any kind) much less a playoff game. Many promising officials (male or female) I've seen don't stick it out long enough to get there. They all want it today. If you look at our association of 350 people and realize that the number of varisty games we do accounts for only ~15% of the games, it becomes pretty clear that there are a lot of people not getting varsity games. Unless there are varsity officials leaving, you've got to be clearly better to take their games away from them, not just as good.

Also, if you look at the percentages of females in the association, they get a larger % of varsity games than thier actual numbers suggest. A female official gets varisty games well before a similarly skilled male official. You'll also notice that the percentage of females drops as the experience level goes up (larger percentage of females among newer members as compared to the older members). Put simply, many women come in, see few women officials at the top, and give up...not sticking around long enough to get women to the top and not realizing they were getting there faster than thier male peers.

When I see a newer official that stands out, I'll often tell the commissioner/assignor about it. I've done so for several over the years including several women. Not one of those women that I gave very positive feedback on stuck around more than 2-3 years while several of the men have. Where'd they go? I don't know but there were not here long enough to get anywhere.

All that said, there is a stong belief around the association that there are several officials just out of the tourney votes that are just as qualified as the last few to get in...the way popular votes often go. There are going to be changes in the tourney selection system that will mix things things up. Several more officials will now get a shot. In fact, I think it will guarantee that you'll see more women and minorities from the PBOA in the playoffs. I can think of at least 2 women that have never been to the playoffs that, under the proposed system, will likely be there within 3 years...probably at the girls 5A. Those two are also officials that have been around for many years.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Why aren't you watching the MLB Celebrity Softball Game? Or, if you did, who won?

I won’t watch the All-Star game, why would I watch a Celebrity Softball game?

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Jeff, I'm not sure if you know, but has an all-female crew even worked one of the girls' finals here in IL?

Actually I did realize that. I have combed over the IHSA handbook and I have never seen but one or two female officials working in the state finals out of the 12 officials. I do know we do not have the numbers of female officials in basketball as they seemed to have in other sports like Volleyball.

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

I know of a couple of women officials that would do a fine job on the boys side, but for some reason, they don't do many boys HS games. I think it might be because the better ones get taken to do women's college, and the few HS games they do will probably be girls.

I have actually worked varsity games with a couple of female officials. I would agree the qualifications are not at issue, but the opportunities are. I do know some D1 female officials that just have not been given an opportunity to work HS varsity boy's games. I just found this very interesting since you almost never see that here.

Peace

[Nevadaref]

This was mentioned on the forum a few months ago.

You've come a long way, baby


BTW a female was part of the 3 person crew for the boys 2A state final in NV this past season.

[mick]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

This made me think about other states. Has this happen in other states. I cannot even think of a single female official to work a post season boy's game here, let alone a state final.

Rut,
I've never heard of more than on woman official in a boys' state final, but oatmealqueen has worked a boys' final at all 4 divisions in Michigan.
mick