Too Soon?

doghead · #1 (**permalink**) Tue Nov 13, 2001, 02:51am

Hi! It has been awhile since I've posted to this board (although I read it frequently). I am a female official going into my third season. My question is "How much experience do you feel one needs before they accept a high school varsity assignment?" My assignor handed me a schedule tonight and among my usual middle school and JV games, she added five varsity games to the list. I must admit that I am a little scared. I have tryed to prepare myself for this by attending 3-person camps/clinics. Tonight I was at a local college where I participated in officiating two women's college teams who were scrimmaging. The veteran officials were there to teach us. Last summer I went to a 4-day camp (3 person mechanics) with all varsity boy teams and three teams from France (Wow! What a "leap" that was for me after having only done JV girls up to that point). There were 50 officials at this camp and only five of us women. It was a lot of work but a lot of learning as well and I am glad I went. Well, anyway, the fact still remains that I only have two years of experience. Should I accept these varsity games or wait another year or so to acquire more experience? I always respect the insights given on this board so please be honest with me. If I give back these games, I need to do so soon so she can give them to someone else?

mick · #2 (**permalink**) Tue Nov 13, 2001, 07:39am

Quote:

Originally posted by doghead
Hi! It has been awhile since I've posted to this board (although I read it frequently). I am a female official going into my third season. My question is "How much experience do you feel one needs before they accept a high school varsity assignment?" My assignor handed me a schedule tonight and among my usual middle school and JV games, she added five varsity games to the list. I must admit that I am a little scared. I have tryed to prepare myself for this by attending 3-person camps/clinics. Tonight I was at a local college where I participated in officiating two women's college teams who were scrimmaging. The veteran officials were there to teach us. Last summer I went to a 4-day camp (3 person mechanics) with all varsity boy teams and three teams from France (Wow! What a "leap" that was for me after having only done JV girls up to that point). There were 50 officials at this camp and only five of us women. It was a lot of work but a lot of learning as well and I am glad I went. Well, anyway, the fact still remains that I only have two years of experience. Should I accept these varsity games or wait another year or so to acquire more experience? I always respect the insights given on this board so please be honest with me. If I give back these games, I need to do so soon so she can give them to someone else?

doghead,
I have found the higher levels are easier to officiate.
...The coaches are louder as they try to influence your decisions.
You sound prepared ... mechanically.
Mentally, the angst is normal.
Your assignor must know what she's doing.
Good luck
mick

BktBallRef · #3 (**permalink**) Tue Nov 13, 2001, 09:15am

Early season games are non-conference affairs. So, perhaps your assigner is giving you an opportunity to prove yourself. I wouldn't turn it down. Chances are that after you work the first one, you'll be very happy that you didn't turn them back in.

Dan_ref · #4 (**permalink**) Tue Nov 13, 2001, 09:38am

Do not turn these games back! By your scrimmage & camp
experience *you know* you can referee. Mick & Tony are
telling you the truth, you can handle this. Stay sharp
and crisp, keep a professional attitude and knock 'em dead!

williebfree · #5 (**permalink**) Tue Nov 13, 2001, 10:04am

I, too, am a third year official who has attended a number of camps and worked with local veterans. The guidance I have gotten is, "you will know when you are ready". For me, it is now. I worked some development leagues this summer and gained the confidence I needed to 'take on' some "small-scale" (approx 200-300 fans) Varsity games.

I realize that this will cause some personal "angst", but, as I have found in the past, all growth experiences do.

Best wishes in your upcoming season, whatever you choose to do.

BktBallRef · #6 (**permalink**) Tue Nov 13, 2001, 10:21am

I worked a lot of rec ball and to years of middle school and JV ball prior to moving to varsity. Even so, I learned a lot during my first month of varsity ball. Certain situations will arise that you haven't seen before. But they're the type of things that you can't learn any other way, except to be on the floor during a varsity game.

Last night, I worked a scrimmage between two of the top 5 teams in NC. Over 800 fans showed up! For a scrimmage! It was like a playoff game! There were also 12-15 officials there, 5 varsity and the rest, JV officials. I worked the 1st qtr with my regular crew and nailed several hand checks.

It was quickly apparent that some of the JV officials were ready to jump onto the floor, while others wanted no part of it. So, when you're ready, you'll know.

KingTripleJump · #7 (**permalink**) Tue Nov 13, 2001, 11:53am

I am a second year offical in the chapter and whatnot. (5th year overall) This year, I have been given 2 varsity games. Which to some of you doesn't sound like a lot, but to a second year ref, it is very exciting. I like it. They wouldn't give you the games if they didn't think you could handle it. That is the way I look at it in my chapter as well. Obviously the chapter thinks I am doing a great job and that I deserve these games. I say keep them. You will have fun!

Mark Padgett · #8 (**permalink**) Tue Nov 13, 2001, 02:45pm

doghead (love that name) - even though I would like to be very encouraging, I have always been of the school that says if you have reservations and second thoughts about moving up, those feelings in of themselves may indicate you are not ready. Much of the preparation for doing higher levels is mental. If you are totally convinced you will be hesitant or "weak" doing those games, then that's the tip off that you probably are not ready anyway.

I'm not trying to scare you off, because a certain level of nervousness is normal and to be expected (except by someone as egocentric as myself

). If you want to overcome these feelings, which you must do to move up, think of the opportunity as a challenge to yourself to overcome any fear. Once you understand you must face challenges like this to become successful, it becomes easier. If you're not willing to challenge yourself, you may never move up. It's really up to you to "take a stand" with yourself.

I wish you the best.

JRutledge · #9 (**permalink**) Tue Nov 13, 2001, 03:39pm

Do not worry, we all were scared our first varsity game. My first game I thought I was going to pass out. That is a very natural emotion, so do not let that "scare" you off from following through with those assignments. You will be just fine. Just prepare as much as you can, then hustle and work hard. You will do what you need to do by doing that and learn from there.

I will keep you in my prayers and you should do a great job. You just work hard and SLOOOOOWWWWW DOWWWNNN. Do not be in a hurry to do anything.

Hope that helps.

Peace

walter · #10 (**permalink**) Tue Nov 13, 2001, 04:59pm

Doghead, trust your own abilities. Mechanically, nothing changes from a junior high to JV to Varsity. The level of play will increase as will the coach's verbage. Trust your mechanics and positioning and let your judgment speak for itself. If you're not sure that you have the basics (mechanics, etc.) down, then maybe you should think about laying off the games. I would hope that your assignor would make sure that you are with an experienced partner(s) for those assignments. As someone else wrote, your assignor obviously has faith in your abilities to at least give you a shot. That doesn't change from level to level. I can't begin to describe how excited I was when I got my first college contract. After the initial excitement however, I started to feel the way you do now. Then the supervisor told me he wouldn't have given the contract if he didn't think I was ready. Take confidence in your assignor's faith. Have a thorough pre-game, trust your abilities, and blow the whistle. A foul is a foul and a violation is a violation. Trust and believe in yourself. Good luck. Let us know how it comes out. We've all been there!

Tim Roden · #11 (**permalink**) Tue Nov 13, 2001, 10:05pm

My first varsity assignment, I had this feeling that every other game I had called was only practice. This is for real.

As someone else said, you know you can work this level because you have done it before in a peacefull setting. All they are adding to the mix is the pressure of doing it in front of a varsity crowd and the game counts. You didn't mention what much about these games either. I have seen varsity games that could have been called by two second year officials. 83-25 blowouts with 10 people in the stands. I doubt seriously if they gave you the cross town rivalry where 2000 people will be in attendance.

Good luck. And let us know how it goes.

bigwhistle · #12 (**permalink**) Wed Nov 14, 2001, 10:57am

[QUOTE][i]

As someone else said, you know you can work this level because you have done it before in a peacefull setting. All they are adding to the mix is the pressure of doing it in front of a varsity crowd and the game counts. [QUOTE]

Tim,

Every game you work COUNTS. The players in lower level games, while not being as skilled as the varsity players, still work their butts off in practice in order to learn what to do, and their parents still come to see them play. Try telling the proud parents that the game their kid is in does not matter, since it is not the varsity game. Don't get caught up in the trap that the varsity game is the only one that counts. Without the lower level games, there would be no place for future varsity level players (and coaches) to learn the game.

williebfree · #13 (**permalink**) Wed Nov 14, 2001, 11:31am

I think you missed the "spirit" of Tim's posting. I did not get the impression he was trying to belittle the "lower levels." I felt he was trying to capture the increased crowd pressures and pressures that we, as developing officials, put on ourselves.

Tim Roden · #14 (**permalink**) Wed Nov 14, 2001, 10:18pm

WillBe is correct. Every game I call is the most important game that I call. I sometimes have trouble calling a four game set because I want to pour everything I have into that first game.

The point is, when you do a varsity game in the winter, you get that feeling that everything has been turned up a notch. You don't change the way you call. Just the reaction you get from your calls.

JRutledge · #15 (**permalink**) Thu Nov 15, 2001, 02:00am

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bigwhistle

Quote:

Tim,

Every game you work COUNTS. The players in lower level games, while not being as skilled as the varsity players, still work their butts off in practice in order to learn what to do, and their parents still come to see them play. Try telling the proud parents that the game their kid is in does not matter, since it is not the varsity game. Don't get caught up in the trap that the varsity game is the only one that counts. Without the lower level games, there would be no place for future varsity level players (and coaches) to learn the game.

You are correct to a point. But all games are not in the paper, and you hear a coach's comments about the officiating on the TV. And when a rule mistake or a judgement call that "costs" a team a game, that does not end up news all over the region. Coaches are not scrutinized the same for not winning the conference at the JV level. As a matter of fact, there might not be such a thing in certain conferences.

I have thrown out coaches at lower level games, and no one knew about it. I have given a coach a T, and everyone knows about it at the varsity game. A little different level of pressure and expectation.

This is why varsity games are completely different.

Peace