Conditioning Tips and Questions

[ace]

Hello, I'm 15 years old and am incharge officiating for an Upward Basketball leauge at our church. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Upward you can visit http://www.upward.org

The rules are based on the rules of the NFHS or the local high school association (LHAA for me). Can just anyone call the association and get a rule book and officials handbook?

Is there an age limit to begin officiting. I'd like to begin recieving Junior High assignments when I turn 16.

Lastly, I noticed the other night during one of the evaluation nights that im sort out of condition for basketball officiating. I'm a lineman during football season so all of my conditioning is geard towards that. Would sort of conditioning would yall suggest for basketball officiating?

THanks for all yalls help and advice.

BTW- I work the clock for the Junior High games and have a pretty good feel for games at that level. I often chat with the officials during halftime and in between boys and girls games.

[Dan_ref]

Hey Ace, glad to hear from you!

You can order NFHS rule books from their web page,
http://www.nfhs.org/rules.htm. You can get a free elecgtronic NCAA book at http://www.ncaa.org/library/rules.html

Most areas need you to be 18 in order to get "certified"
for high school & junior high games, but don't let that
stop you. I'm sure most rec leagues in your area would
be glad to have you working their games, maybe starting
with 4th & 5th graders. Not a bad way to make some
spare change. As for getting in shape, well, anything
that improves your endurance is good. Running, wind
sprints, lots of jumping jacks, squat thrusts, things along those lines will strenghten you legs & help keep you in
front of the pack. Good luck!

[rainmaker]

The best conditioning is lots of basketball. Start with two game sets, and work up to three or four. The fifth graders don't give a lot of challenge, but if that's the highest level you can get, that's the highest challenge you need. The way to maximize the conditioning is to push yourself to always beat the ball down the court on new lead, and always stay even with the next to the last player on new trail.

No one was more out of shape than I was when I started (two yars ago) and I can stay ahead of the ball 90% of the time now in a JV boys game. If I work on timing and positioning this year, and keep doing lots of JV, and then lots of Var after the season is over, I shouldn't have any trouble in the Var games I get next year.

And if I can do it, anyone can!!!

[ace]

So i am going to have to wait for till My Senior year to begin school ball?

I WOULD get into rec ball but my parents are a lil worried that the coaches are a little out of hand. It doesn't bother me a bit because after two T's there gone and out of my way. But next rec season Im going to TRY talking them into it. Thanks for the replies.

[Mark Dexter]

When I was 15 (not too long ago), I would not want to do rec ball. I think most varsity coaches are better than rec ball coaches.

[Doug]

i started officiating bb when i was 13. i live in wisconsin, and they encourage younger reffs to get certified. When i was 14 i was doing middle school games. Call your local middle school and talk to the athletic director, or talk to the director at you school. they'll help you, get a mentor, have patience, you'll get there!
when i was 15 i was doing guys jv, so i know in some states, at least wi, it is possible, i think now you must be 18 in order to officiate above a freshman level. go watch games, find a good official and talk to them, good luck, and stick with it, i agree w/ mark. the higher up you get the better it is. I had a 7th grade game last night, coming off a jv game, and it was hard. like anything, it gets easier.

Doug
-Keep your eye on the prize

[DrakeM]

Ace,
I know two referees, Pat Fraher and Gary Zielinski, who began working at around your age.
They are both now in the NBA. If you can handle the coaches and refereeing players older than you that may go to your same school, GO FOR IT!
Drake

[ace]

Coaches on the Junior High level arent really a problem. I deal with them when I work the clock because they love to say "Ur not starting the clock fast enough" (after an ENTIRE HALF of this crap the ref told the coach "that the next time you something, he is going to buz me over and I will issue a technical foul. He is just as much as an official as I am. He's a better clock worker than the adults you have at your school. He works by the book so leave him alone." ANother constant battle is the coach not getting subs to the table on time. There screaming sub and according the sheet that the refs handed me the first game of the season that if i Dont visually have a player kneeling infront of the table that has checked in with the offical scorer dont call for sub. So i start the clock and the coaches give me eyes. I slide that sheet to the end of the table with that part highlighted and they look at it and just shut up for the rest of game. Next dead ball there players are infront of the table. Its nice. I can handle Junior high coaches in this area. Now REC ball is a different situation. We had a rec ball turny at the junior high and i was summoned to work the clock. In one day (10 games) 7 coaches had techs on them with one ejection. I'm considering rec ball next year but Im going to try and get in an assc. first where i can get some JH games.

[Tim Roden]

Congradulations on your early start. I also noticed when I played football in JH, that I lost a lot of conditioning during the football season. The best thing to do is to do some jogging in the morning before school. Doesn't have to be much but two or three miles is all you need. Thirty minutes at most. Do it consistantly three to four times a week during football season and you should be ready for basketball season. Check with your football coach as to when the best time to do it is. He may not want you to do it on game day. When football is over, do your jogging as consistantly as you can. all summer long. You will be surprised how well you are ready not only to officiate basketball, but you won't be tired in the fourth quarter of a football game next fall.