Cooling off

PIAA REF · #1 (**permalink**) Tue Feb 27, 2007, 09:42am

Sorry about this post but I need to vent. I am 25 yrs old, have been officiating for 7 yrs. I now do only varsity boys and girls, some small college and I will help out with junior high when needed. I have been doing everything in my power to get better as an official, camps, taping games, ect. Last year I got my first playoff game. This year I got another along with a letter from the state saying I am able to work state playoff games (not just district) I was pumped, it doesn't mean I will get one but still I was excited. Soon guys found out, most were excited and happy for me. However, one official who I thought to be a decent friend has been bad mouthing me about this deal, He is ticked because he has reffed longer, and I am young. He has talked to other people in our chapter (who told me) and even the playoff assignor. I truely feel that I have earned this honor but I am really getting upset about all this BS going on.
My question is should I just have the who cares attitude or should I confront him about this.

SmokeEater · #2 (**permalink**) Tue Feb 27, 2007, 09:51am

I believe in making people accountable for the things they say. Ask him as a friend, be pleasant and not confrontational. Then if he owns up Blast the crap outta him....LOL j/k about the last part.

Nu1 · #3 (**permalink**) Tue Feb 27, 2007, 09:52am

Congrats on your success.

My opinion - If this were me and it was someone I considered a friend, I would approach them privately, tell them what I heard, and ask if it is true. I would then have an appropriate conversation with them - depending on their response - about how I felt about it and our "friendship."

If this was someone I did not consider a friend - just a fellow official. I wouldn't bother with it at all.

I have been blessed to get some great advice as I started officiatng. Much of it is just general life type of stuff too. Top of the list was "Don't speak badly about other officials!" This is something I try to incorporate in my life in and out of reffing. I don't want to gossip about others...I don't want to listen to gossip about others...I don't want people to gossip about me. But I can only control what I talk about and what I listen to. There will always be people who put you down. Hopefully you're part of a chapter with some great people who lift you up as well.

Continued success in the post season.

Jurassic Referee · #4 (**permalink**) Tue Feb 27, 2007, 10:05am

Quote:

Originally Posted by PIAA REF

However, one official who I thought to be a decent friend has been bad mouthing me about this deal, He is ticked because he has reffed longer, and I am young. He has talked to other people in our chapter (who told me) and even the playoff assignor. I truly feel that I have earned this honor but I am really getting upset about all this BS going on.
My question is should I just have the who cares attitude or should I confront him about this.

Let it go. The people who count--i.e. your fellow officials and the playoff assignor-- knows what's going on. Don't sink to your ex-friend's level. You're there because you deserve to be there. Handle it with the class that your ex-friend lacks.

Congratulations. Hopefully, you will get a chance at the state level to validate your selection.

GoodwillRef · #5 (**permalink**) Tue Feb 27, 2007, 10:28am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Let it go. The people who count--i.e. your fellow officials and the playoff assignor-- knows what's going on. Don't sink to your ex-friend's level. You're there because you deserve to be there. Handle it with the class that your ex-friend lacks.

Congratulations. Hopefully, you will get a chance at the state level to validate your selection.

]

Very well said, it is his problem not yours.

Old School · #6 (**permalink**) Tue Feb 27, 2007, 10:37am

I do not understand why people get so frustrated about working HS playoff games. The majority of the ball simply is not that good for the amount of bull you have to go thru to get a chance to do it. You are lucky, you are among the chosen few. However, you are too young to understand the problem. In all businesses, not just this one, there are people that will feel like this when you move up, especially when they think they are just as deserving. I'm going to give you some excellent advice for your young career. Do not look back, nothing can be of benefit to you by going in that direction. Keep your eyes and career moving forward in the positive direction that you are now going. You have just as much work to do now, then you had to get here. Don't screw it up by focusing on the wrong thing. Hell no, do you say anything to him about it.

Now, to the problem. More often than not, selection to HS playoffs is more political then it is how good you are. If you think you got there on your merits, you are fooling yourself. You're 25 years old and you're working state playoffs over someone who has been wanting to do it for 15 years or longer. That's BS in my opinion. That's age discrimination. Of course you are younger, faster, more energetic, bah, bah, bah. However, as good as you think you are, you do not have the experience of a 15 year veteran. This is a dog eat dog business. Enjoy it, you are truly lucky and you don't even know it.

Bad Zebra · #7 (**permalink**) Tue Feb 27, 2007, 10:49am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old School

...More often than not, selection to HS playoffs is more political then it is how good you are. If you think you got there on your merits, you are fooling yourself... This is a dog eat dog business. Enjoy it, you are truly lucky and you don't even know it.

OS, how can you make this statement? It is absurd. You know nothing about his state or association or his abilities. You throw generalizations around like they are fact. I call "BULL". You sound like one of those bitter old officials that think they are owed a state assignment just for showing up.

PIAA, be proud of what you have accomplished. Keep working hard. I have been officiating about the same amount of time as you have and I have begun to get state assignments too. I have found there are always naysayers and fossils in any association that think they are owed a prime schedule just because they have managed to hang around a long time. These are the same guys that complain about having to go to camps "because they have seen it all". Forget them and keep working hard and do what you are doing. You have one advantage over me...youth. Use it to your advantage and leave those other small minds behind. Your success has nothing to do with age. It's all about your attitude and desire to excel at what you do.

Congrats and best of luck!

Ref in PA · #8 (**permalink**) Tue Feb 27, 2007, 11:03am

Congrats!. I got my first playoff game this year and have heard through the grapevine some negative comments. Big deal. If what I hear is correct, the comments came from people bemoaning the fact that they did not get a playoff assignment. The people complaining have bigger egos than I. I have been called a "rulebook" ref because of my knowledge of the rules (obtained mostly from this site). Actually, I view this as a compliment. To improve as a ref, not only are game management skills and basketball knowledge essential, but a solid foundation in the rules is also necessary. The first two come with experience, the latter with effort.

It is also my opinion that these negative comments/feelings from the others will last only a year or two. Once you are established as a "playoff" ref, they have nothing to gripe about. The ones that complain will be known and labeled as complainers - your fellow refs know that, the assignors know that. Let it go.

Old School · #9 (**permalink**) Tue Feb 27, 2007, 01:05pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bad Zebra

OS, how can you make this statement? It is absurd. You know nothing about his state or association or his abilities. You throw generalizations around like they are fact. I call "BULL". You sound like one of those bitter old officials that think they are owed a state assignment just for showing up.

No, not at all. I am not beating myself up trying to get a HS playoff assignment. I know what I can do and I let my ability speak for itself. I have not been trying to get a HS playoff assignment for 15 years, so I am not in that boat. However, I do think I played both sides of the track here. I complimented the OP on his success. Go back and reread my post. I know that you only focused on the negative remarks I made, but there was some congrats and advice.

Getting to the 2nd part of the story. I am in the camp that believes there are a lot of qualified officials that can work both DI and state playoffs where the same DI official shouldn't have to work 7 to 28 days in a row. With state HS assignments, I have been told that there are way more officials applying then there are assignments. This causes the selection process to come under scrutiny and knowing this country's poor track record of discrimination in hiring, especially in sports, an eyebrow raises when someone who's being doing it for such a short period of time is chosen over a person who's been doing it much longer. I wanted to try and paint the picture to the OP how the other person may feel. But please don't give me the BS that this cat earned his way. He probably earned 20% of his way. It's all about who you know in this business and you have to put as much effort into the politics as you have to do your game. That be the way it is.

blindzebra · #10 (**permalink**) Tue Feb 27, 2007, 01:36pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old School

No, not at all. I am not beating myself up trying to get a HS playoff assignment. I know what I can do and I let my ability speak for itself. I have not been trying to get a HS playoff assignment for 15 years, so I am not in that boat. However, I do think I played both sides of the track here. I complimented the OP on his success. Go back and reread my post. I know that you only focused on the negative remarks I made, but there was some congrats and advice.

Getting to the 2nd part of the story. I am in the camp that believes there are a lot of qualified officials that can work both DI and state playoffs where the same DI official shouldn't have to work 7 to 28 days in a row. With state HS assignments, I have been told that there are way more officials applying then there are assignments. This causes the selection process to come under scrutiny and knowing this country's poor track record of discrimination in hiring, especially in sports, an eyebrow raises when someone who's being doing it for such a short period of time is chosen over a person who's been doing it much longer. I wanted to try and paint the picture to the OP how the other person may feel. But please don't give me the BS that this cat earned his way. He probably earned 20% of his way. It's all about who you know in this business and you have to put as much effort into the politics as you have to do your game. That be the way it is.

Rec ref alert!

I do rec leagues, because I don't want to play the politics of that other ball, it's beneath me.

Yeah, right!

Let's think logically about this for a second...I know that is tough for you...but the assigner has to live with the official he/she picks, no?

So this assigner is going to throw a completely unqualified official out there in a high profile game/level knowing that when they screw it up, the assigner will be the one taking the heat...and phone calls...for choosing that official? Don't think so.

It's typical...it's called sour grapes.

Last year my partner and I were fortunate enough to work a state semi-final, on that same day friends of ours worked semis also. One worked a semi at a higher level this year. My partner and I worked a final. My other friend didn't work anything past the first round.

He was upset, said some things about how we obviously kissed the right butts and played the "game" better than he did. The funny thing is, that he was the one calling the assigner about his schedule, begging to do the high profile holiday tournament, while we did neither. We worked the big holiday tournament again, because we were asked to based on how we performed in it last year and in our state semis. We in turn worked our semi and final this year based on how we performed last year and this year in the big holiday tournament. In other words WE EARNED IT.

So keep in mind, the cream will rise to the top. Sour cream usually sinks.

swvaref · #11 (**permalink**) Tue Feb 27, 2007, 02:09pm

I agree to let it go. I have just finished my 5th year. I got a playoff game last year and also one this year. Our commissioner has allowed almost every JV official to work a V game with 2 veterans.He believes in promoting officials and giving them chances. It is at least 5-10 officials with less then 5 years in our assossiation that is doing D3. We had an invite to go to a D1 camp in Florida last year by our commissioner in which 5 of us went. I know there is a lot of talk from the veteran officials. I was with 2 veterans on a Big game in Jan. We did the pre-game, everything was going great. We were standing beside the court just about ready to go on the court,the older ref turns to me, gets in my face and said "I dont think you should be on this game." Turns and walks on the court. Needless to say I was shocked. I got on the floor worked my butt off, I had no problems. I agree the cream will rise to the top.When the coaches see the new young officials more and more they will get more comfortable. I will admitt I get more heat from the coaches and the fans than the vets do.I had a vet tell me , no matter where I go, middle school, JV, V, boys ,girls or AAU to work as if my commississioner is in the stands watching me and believe me, it has paid off

PIAA REF · #12 (**permalink**) Tue Feb 27, 2007, 01:46pm

Thanks guys, I appreciate the support...

To Old School, first of all I am not a cat. I am a 25 yr old white male. I also feel that even though I will agree politics play a small part is playoff assignment your judgement that I only earned the assignment 20% is way off base. Like someone else stated you do not know my state and/or how things are done here. I don't know why you even come on this sight. You have nothing to offer us true officials. Yes you may be an official but you will never be a true official. Your negative comments have proved that. You try to stir the pot but it doesn't work on here. Most of us have been posting on here for years and we know not to listen to you. You really need to evaluate yourself if you are an official because a true official would not post like you. There are many other officials on here that I may not agree with but I respect them to no end. You have lost the respect of every person on this board. Do us a favor and never post again.

PIAA REF · #13 (**permalink**) Thu Mar 01, 2007, 01:23pm

To my knowledge I am the only ref that is under 30 that is able to ref at the state level. There are a few others that are in their early 30's. I may be not thinking about one or 2 but I believe I might be the only one.

Jurassic Referee · #14 (**permalink**) Tue Feb 27, 2007, 02:43pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old School

. It's all about who you know in this business and you have to put as much effort into the politics as you have to do your game. That be the way it is.

You could know God and it still wouldn't get you a regular season high school game, let alone a playoff game. You actually have to work at a certain level before being considered for playoffs at that level.

jmkbball · #15 (**permalink**) Tue Feb 27, 2007, 10:53am

I would not go out of my way to say something to him...chances are, his attitude and mouth have joined his officiating abilities and most people recognize that.
That said however, I would have a hard time not saying something if a private opportunity ever offered itself...that you've heard from others what he has said and it bother you. You considered him a friend and the comments don't reflect well on him or your perceived friendship.
--just two cents and good luck.