IHSA Officials: Evaluations
 

If you look at the Sports Official Handbook for 2007-2008 at page 16 regarding promotion you'll see a new (or updated - I'm not sure -) requirement to be promoted (#4).

It says:

4. Evaluations. You will need to get three (3) letters of recommendation to send in with your application for promotion. You will need one (1) from a school, one (1) from a certified official, and the last one can be from either the school or certified official.


Did they get rid of the evaluations you hand out to schools and officials before the game?

That's a new one on me. Maybe they have gotten rid of the evaluations for promotion since coaches (should) give evaluations on every game, and certified officials can rate other officials on-line.

Maybe Bob or Jeff can chime in on what they know.

I know if you didn't meet the required number of evaluations from schools (coaches or school official) or officials they could replace it with your two-plus average to determine whether you would or would not be promoted. However, if you look at the new design of the website, it appears they have got rid of the two-years plus average.

Yes they did. They wanted to make it easier to get approved for promotion. Many officials were having problems with coaches filling out the forms and in some cases it was hard to actually work with or be seen by a Certified official.

I will say this to you. This is the year you want to get promoted. I am under the impression that things are going to change again after this year. Take advantage of this.

Peace

Makes sense. I know my first go at it it seemed pretty easy for basketball on the officials side. However, the coaches certainly lagged. In baseball, no problem on the coaches, however finding Certified officials wasn't very easy.

Again, makes sense. I am planning on trying this year for baseball and basketball, however looks like I will see the new changes next year for football.

Thanks Jeff.

Anytime Tanner.

Peace

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Yep, three letters of recommendation and the application. I take the Part 2 tonight. Wish me luck!

One thing to note.... they don't give you a lot of time to get the letters. I had to call an AD at the last minute to get one because a coach was swamped. When I got it it was a great letter... just three days after the deadline.

Bob,

I'm assuming there was a letter of some sort that came with your books, exam, and application for promotion. What does the letter tell you to do (i.e. what needs to be included in the letter from the official or school)?

Good luck tonight! Are you going for R or C?

If this will help, here's a generic letter of recommendation any of you can copy and paste.

To Whom It May Concern: I highly recommend (insert your name here) for a basketball referee position with your association. I have observed him and, unlike most officials, he is excellent at calling reaches, over-the-backs, force outs and whatchamacallits.

Sincerely,
Billy Packer


Here's another:

To Whom It May Concern: I highly recommend (insert your name here) for a basketball referee position with your association. Unlike many officials, he is able to be bought cheap. You'd better put him in to really important games unless you want your kneecaps rearranged.

Sincerely,
Tony Soprano

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R... Do you know how far I had to go from where you and I used to live to find a certified soccer ref? There are a lot of them around here, but none in our old stomping grounds. Soccer guys were few and far between. I used to work games with 2 guys from Marion.... ans you know how far away that was.
There were a few guys in Olney.

No, there is no sample letter. There will be a blue sheet in your packet with the promotion procedure. That's it!
The officials knew what to say, but the school needed a little help to get started. I'd make sure they state that they know your work, rules knowledge and application, game management abilities, professionalism, and that you're a good candidate for promotion. PM me for more info.

The test was interesting. Some questions were simple and straightforward. Some were more difficult than Part One. Some were worded in a complicated way that allowed for enough interpretation that you could actually prove T or F depending upon how you read them.

Done.

So Jim old buddy, old pal...how hard do I have to twist your arm? :D

Not very hard - a coupla' hundred bags of M&M's should do it.

But, I am going to have to actually see you work. How do I know you haven't gotten old and fat since the last time I saw you? :D

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M&M,
He's in my facebook. He isn't old and fat... but a couple a hundred bags of M&Ms might fatten him up a little. And for a recommendation, there was this one time in a really small gym in Southern Illinois... I give him a big :) RR