humbling Position

[REFVA]

I've posted to this forum for some time. Last year I was selected to officiate D3 womens side and never did a game. I was told by most of you that my age wouldn't play a role. I turned 50, This year I went to a number of camps, slimmed down some weight, became more defined in my built, worked on my speed. Yet this year I must have gotten worst becuase not only didn't I not get recruited. I did'nt get a second look at. I was told that I improved from last year, which again I didn't get an assignment, yet this year I got better but didn't get selected. I've been doing basketball all year round, of course I did some AAu, Summer HS and Fall HS both boys and girls. I have gone to some clinics worked with some D-1 officials, one which is also an NBA evaultor and rule interpreter. yet I get worst.

The questions here is, do we get burnt out and not even know it. and it displays on the court? Yet we as individuals don't see it ourselves.

be gentle on the comments, thanks

[Coltdoggs]

REFVA...

I'm heading into my 7th year...I mainly work Jr. High and some summer HS/AAU stuff at a local facility that runs hoops year round.

I would say like any job, yes, burnout can be a factor and it most certainly can show up on the court. I had 8 games this weekend, 5 which were yesterday and by game #5, I was admittedly DOG TIRED...Both physically and mentally and I'm only 35 years old.....You've probably been doing this longer than I and don't need me to tell you that!

I think the important thing here is to be cognisent of it. I was asked to take on a 6th game yesterday and I had to tell the guy I just couldn't do it. I was mentally spent after the last two games and having tendonitis in my knees, the physical demand was just more than I wanted to push myself.

In your case, sounds like it could be a case of "head trash" by the evaluators/assignors? Perhaps their "head trash" about you from previous seasons is limiting their ability to see you as a new man?

Just my $.02

[Scrapper1]

That's a tough break. Perhaps your age played more of a factor than anybody expected. If it were "burnout" and it showed on the court, then I doubt you would've been told that you improved.

In my area, a friend of mine was encouraged to try out for the men's college conference. He did and was not accepted. This is still baffling to us, because he is a better official than THREE recently accepted officials from the same area. The only thing we can think of is that the assignor simply thought he was too old to start out at the college level.

At this point, I think it would be entirely reasonable to call the assignor and ask for a brutally frank assessment of where you stand. "I'm not complaining. I'm just wondering if you see me getting a schedule in the future, or if it's time for me to move on."

Good luck. I hope it works out the way you want it to.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by REFVA

I've posted to this forum for some time. Last year I was selected to officiate D3 womens side and never did a game. I was told by most of you that my age wouldn't play a role. I turned 50, This year I went to a number of camps, slimmed down some weight, became more defined in my built, worked on my speed. Yet this year I must have gotten worst becuase not only didn't I not get recruited. I did'nt get a second look at. I was told that I improved from last year, which again I didn't get an assignment, yet this year I got better but didn't get selected. I've been doing basketball all year round, of course I did some AAu, Summer HS and Fall HS both boys and girls. I have gone to some clinics worked with some D-1 officials, one which is also an NBA evaultor and rule interpreter. yet I get worst.

The questions here is, do we get burnt out and not even know it. and it displays on the court? Yet we as individuals don't see it ourselves.

be gentle on the comments, thanks

Don't assume that because you didn't get put on a roster, that you got worse. There are so many other factors to how they choose their refs, and your own capabilities often will have very little to do with it. If I were you, I'd find a mentor who's working at that level, and say to that person, "I want to keep improving, would you watch a couple of my tapes and make suggestions?" DON'T say, "will you help me get picked up?" When they are watching your tape say, "How would you handle that in a hs game? How would you handle it in a D3 game?" In this way, you'll show a willingness to improve at whatever level you're at. And then work to move up the ladder at the level you're at. Work for the best hs games, the hs tournaments and so on. Or Juco or whatever.

Most of all, don't define your SELF by how high a level of games you get. Do the best wherever you are, and maintain a life outside of reffing. Be a whole person who likes to ref.

You are still allowed to have those thoughts, "How did SHE move up and I didn't!? I'm so much better than her!" You're just not allowed to express those to anyone but your spouse.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by REFVA

The questions here is, do we get burnt out and not even know it. and it displays on the court? Yet we as individuals don't see it ourselves.

be gentle on the comments, thanks

I have no idea to your first question.

Anytime someone is hiring people to work a league, level or tournament, it is up to them as to why they hire or do not hire someone. People who hire officials are just as different has the people that hire anyone else for other positions. They consider things that you do not even know they are looking for and it can involve things that would be considered unethical or illegal in other professions. If you are not hired by the people you want to, you could ask or you could change something to make sure the next time you are hired. There is not going to be an answer that might fit perfectly for this situation.

Peace

[REFVA]

I thank you for your suggestions, I am just as baffled as ever. you are correct that there were some officials who were selected that Not I, but my peers, who are just shaking their heads and are wonder why them and not me. Did I piss anyone off? I say no. So I'm a little baffled. I guess as they say their always next year, yet I know that most of the contract have been sent out and back. I had a great ending last year at the High School level, Post season, regionals missed states but was a runner up from what my High School assignor said. So I go back and just try to revisit my summer and see where I went wrong..

[truerookie]

RevVA, you just don't know what others are thinking. Continue to work hard, it will come together when you least expect it.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by REFVA

there were some officials who were selected that Not I, but my peers, who are just shaking their heads and are wonder why them and not me.

Maybe you could feel thankful that you didn't get chosen? Do you really want to be put into the category with those others?

Originally Posted by REFVA

So I go back and just try to revisit my summer and see where I went wrong..

Don't bother. Work on getting better in the future, not on changing the past.

[Junker]

Do you feel burnt out? If so, maybe you need to cut back a little. I cut back by about 10 games this season (at least at the moment I have) for that very fact. The best advice I could give is to worry about what you can control. You can control how hard you work to improve (it sounds like you are doing that), you can control how hard you work nightly. You cannot, however, control how an assignor gives out games. All of us have scratched our heads at some point in our career on why so and so are getting games we aren't. It is just part of the profession. Keep working to improve and the games will come. Don't spend time worrying about things that are out of your control.

Originally Posted by REFVA

I've posted to this forum for some time. Last year I was selected to officiate D3 womens side and never did a game. I was told by most of you that my age wouldn't play a role. I turned 50, This year I went to a number of camps, slimmed down some weight, became more defined in my built, worked on my speed. Yet this year I must have gotten worst becuase not only didn't I not get recruited. I did'nt get a second look at. I was told that I improved from last year, which again I didn't get an assignment, yet this year I got better but didn't get selected. I've been doing basketball all year round, of course I did some AAu, Summer HS and Fall HS both boys and girls. I have gone to some clinics worked with some D-1 officials, one which is also an NBA evaultor and rule interpreter. yet I get worst.

The questions here is, do we get burnt out and not even know it. and it displays on the court? Yet we as individuals don't see it ourselves.

be gentle on the comments, thanks

At the HS level, there are GREAT refs doing varsity. There are also average refs doing varsity. There are GREAT refs doing soph/JV. Why aren't the GREAT soph/JV refs doing varsity?
1) Good ole' boy network - out of your control
2) the average varsity refs are "good enough" to meet demand and are a known quantity. - out of your control
3) Not their time yet - schedulers aren't as knowledgable about them as their partners are. Within your control - Have your partners speak up for you.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by KSRef07

At the HS level, there are GREAT refs doing varsity. There are also average refs doing varsity. There are GREAT refs doing soph/JV. Why aren't the GREAT soph/JV refs doing varsity?
1) Good ole' boy network - out of your control
2) the average varsity refs are "good enough" to meet demand and are a known quantity. - out of your control
3) Not their time yet - schedulers aren't as knowledgable about them as their partners are. Within your control - Have your partners speak up for you.

First of all the term "great" is very subjective. Also everyone that is not getting hired for higher level games, is just about their ability as an official. Sometimes the people that are "great" do not put in the work it takes to set themselves apart from most of their peers. I know I am not helping someone that does not listen, does not attend regular meetings and does not go to many camps to be seen. The ole' good ole boy excuse gets old when I see many people that want to be hired but expect someone to just see you once and they are going to just hire you. It does not work that way in many things in life and that includes officiating.

Peace

[M&M Guy]

REFVA - there might also be other factors at work, such as how close are the officials that were hired to the schools in the conference, vs. how close are you? Did you tell the supervisor you could only work at certain schools during the week because you can't get the time off work? Maybe the others have jobs that will let travel to all of the schools, any day of the week. Some supervisors hire a certain number officials from certain geographical areas, and perhaps there are already enough officials from your particular area.

Ability is important, but as others have said, there are many factors outside of ability alone. Do your best to control what you can; sometimes it's just a matter of luck whther you get hired.

[REFVA]

I appreciate all your comment. It's great to know I have my extended family of officials on this site.