Assignments
 

I am in my 8th year. Hard to believe. Last year was my best year for assignments. I had a 60% varsity schedule.

This year so far, 30%. I am left wondering what happened.

I am to the point now that is January is like this I am considering quitting. I always score in the 90's on my tests, rarely ever turn in assignments.

You can't ask why. You won't get an answer. I am just frustrated.

Any advice?

1. Ask why
2. Find another assigner
3. Find a third assigner
4. Focus less on your test scores and more on your game (maybe that should be #1?)

Good luck...btw even the JV players need dedicated refs.

There could be a number of reasons why. What did you do over the offseason to get better? Did other guys who worked JV/V mix go to camps and improve while you didn't? This could very well be a case of you slipping through the cracks, try to find a mentor or at least someone "in the know" who you can talk to and who can help promote you and keep working hard, that's all you can really control.

BTW: how long does it usually take to get a V schedule in your area?

I was in your spot three years ago. I found out two hard truths: because I was always available for the early games -- the freshmen/JV double-headers that start at 3:30, I was assigned those games. It made absolutely no difference to my assignor how good I was or how many camps I went to. He needed reliable officials for the early games and I was that. I also never complained. I just took the assignments -- and I got a lot of them.

That was the other hard truth. My assignor believed he was doing me a favor. He gave me a lot of games -- and thus a lot of money. I wanted varsity games and he did not want to assign me varsity...because he had lots of varsity officials, but not enough sub-varsity officials. And I made a tactical error in working for only one guy. He assigned for a lot of leagues -- when he retired last year, those leagues hired four different assignors to do what he did alone.

We had a falling out three years ago because I pushed hard for varsity assignments. It was the best thing that happened to me. I did exactly what Dan suggested: I found another assignor. And another And a third. And I was able to cobble together a good scheule -- with about 60 percent varsity games. Last year...it was all varsity, with a couple of "off-date" last-minute sub-varsity games for a new assignor...who this year is giving me a couple of varsity games. This year, I have only varsity games.

This topic came up at a college camp this summer. I forget the specifics, but the speaker noted that she had a "good year" and got fewer tourney assignments and a reduced schedule the following year; and had "not so good year" and receeived more tourney assignments and a better schedule.

The answer: Worry about what you can control (being the best official you can be) and don't worry about what you can't control (the specific assignments).

That's about all you can do. Take care of business and good things will come. Sometimes you have to be patient.

First of all, where do you live in Maryland? If it is around the DC area with one of the two main assigners, I might be able to find out more for you. I might be able to ask someone in the Cumberland area too if that is where you live.

If you're to the point that you're going to quit, then what the hell? Go to him and ask him. You've got nothing to lose at this point.

I found myself in a tough position geographically a couple of years ago and was working mostly for one assignor. Ended up doing a lot of games with uncertified officials and it really was difficult to show the varsity officials how I could call a game. Last year, I made a conscious decision to cobble together my own schedule through ADs who assign and I went out of my area to get some games that would partner me with better officials. I traveled a lot more last season, but this year I have 28 varsity assignments. I may get a couple more from the 'other' assignor who does V for 2 schools. But I most likely will do a few frosh games to make sure I am not rusty. I only do 35 games per season. Sometimes, you take a step back to take two steps forward.

If you are in an area with multiple assigners you are fortunate. In TN the State sanctions the associations and the Assignors. They are geographic regions, I live in the "center" of one of the Assignor service areas. Should I ever run "afoul" of the assignor I would have to drive over an hour to get to the nearest boundary between the assigning areas.

Most of my games were more than an hour away.

It may not be the case for you, but at the end of last season I rewrote my definitions of "advancing" and "better schedule". I worked a lot of games last season but only about 40-45% varsity. I made the decision to cut back on the number of select league games I worked and attend more camps. I did this for two reasons...(1) I realized I was getting tired and dreaded game days (not a good sign) and (2) by going to camps I would improve faster than simply by working games. I found my performance at the camps was better because I was fresher. At the last camp of the summer (which is put on by my chapter), the assigment secretary came up to me and asked "Is this really your 5th camp of the summer?". He also mentioned he had heard good reports.

Now that the season is starting I am getting fewer games (only 12 so far but only November has been assigned) but 10 of them are varsity. Last year I was the R a lot in varsity two person crews...this year I am getting a lot of assignments at U2. Additionally, my varsity games last year were small schools...this year (so far) they are 4A and 5A. Granted, not the top match-ups but more visible games with more of the top officials in the chapter...so I am becoming better known to them.

When schedules are discussed and I mention only 12 games people will say things like "Maybe your schedule will get better as the season rolls on." I just smile and say to myself...it already is better.

All that to ask...Are the varsity games you are getting "better" games? It may be a case of assignors putting you in better games and waiting for feedback before giving you more varsity games.

Just a thought.

Do you feel like you improved last year? Did you go to a camp(s) over the summer? In our association, we have a lot of guys who work their butts off to get better every year. Those who remain the same (or are perceived that way) get passed up. Not saying it happened to you, but it's possible.

Talk to you assignor. What can it hurt?
Get better between now and next season.
If you can't control it, let it go. Ref because you love the game.

If you can work for multiple people or an organization that is something you should do. I always think officials should diversify their assignors like an investor would diversify their stocks if that is possible.

All you can do is ask the assignor about your schedule if it really bothers you. Also I do not know if you should focus so much on the percentage of varsity rather than the actual number (which might have been reduced). It is possible that the percentage of lower level games might have raised so that you can work with less experienced officials and mentor them on some level.

One other thing, maybe you need to revaluate your goals. As time goes on your goals should change a little. And are other officials in your area that have accomplished similar things working a similar schedule. If that is not the case then you might need to look within.

Peace

I made a conscious decision to work nothing but varsity games three years ago. I won't even fill in at the subvarsity level anymore. Like it or not, there are some who will think of you as a "subvarsity official." Also, with my work travel and with a 3-year-old, I make choices to keep my schedule at a reasonable level.

More here: http://forum.officiating.com/showpos...25&postcount=7

I feel sorry that you are stuck with one assignor.

It really is better (you have to experience it to understand it) when you have 10 assignors each assigning a league and then the schools assigning the nonconference games themselves. I work hard at filling my schedule, but I'm in control of it. There are good officials in my area who won't network like this and lament they don't get 10 varsity games in a season because of it. It's their own fault -- I am just starting my sixth season in Wisconsin and I've never worked fewer than 20 varsity dates and have cut back to 35 this season. And at the end of the day, on average, you still have to be a good official or schools won't bring you back.

We have a new assignor up in my neck of the woods who is a great guy and very fair. I actually have a crummy schedule in his conference which has nothing to do with him. More on transition of new assignor and projected job obligations on my end. He has filled me in on a handful of Varsity games already and I've offered, if he needs me, to take lower level games, which I'm glad to do for him, last minute. Anytime I'm open, I'll help.

It does get frustrating from time to time, had an assignor in a small girls conference with mediocre at best ball tell me I needed at least 5-6 years before he will consider me at varsity level. I had already done a TV game at this point.

I use my Dad's philosophy he used to lay on me as a kid, "You are no better than anyone else, but you're just as good". There are plenty of officials around here that I really admire and have a long way to go to being considered an equal, but sometimes I'm at a big game somewhere as a spectator thinking I'm 'just as good.'

Our board started a new committee last year. It was the Retention Committee, which was charged with finding out why people were leaving the board and to put in place a plan to help officials. I volunteered for that committee and I am sure that helped in elevating to varsity this year. I was the only committee member present at the spring meeting and the president of the board asked me to give an update on our work. A mentoring program is being launched as a result.

Lesson learned? It can pay to volunteer to help the board by becoming part of a committee. You become better known. There is a sales axiom that applies here: It is not who you know, it is who knows you.

We have one association here. They assign the games. the executive board.

I am a good official. I have gotten better every year. No I don't go to camps, I am too busy running my business to go. We may have 1 or 2 guys who go to a camp. We have about 40 officials and we work about a 60 mile area.

My point is that I have 7 years worth of officials behind me. I have paid my dues to get a better schedule. I rarely ever have a complaint from a coach and have had them compliment me even when they lose.

My best asset is that I understand the rules and use them correctly in the games. I am tall and loud enough to be heard without a problem. I am athletic and can keep up with the game. I don't do much boys varsity, maybe 4 games last year. Mostly girls varsity and I don't have a problem with that.

Thanks for your suggestions. I am 52 and not looking to go to the next level ( college ) though I have been asked a few times.

I did have a college evaluator rate me last year and he gave me some good pointers and asked me to come to his camp, but that seems like a younger mans game to me. I want to do this about another 6 or 7 years, if my body holds up.

If you got a 30% varsity schedule, how would you feel?

I will come right out and say that age does play a part. I am 50. I took 26 years off. If I had started back at age 36 instead of 46, I would not have as many hurdles. But, I hold no delusions about how far I will go. I know that a lot of guys 5-7 years older than me will hang up the whistle. I work hard and would beat a lot of officials 20 years younger than me in end to end sprints. I look forward to a better schedule this year than last. But I look at maybe 5 years before things start going in the other direction as some younger officials come along. And that is fine with me. I enjoy what I am doing. I do not expect to be doing any state semis before I hang up the whistle. I guess you could have a heart to heart with your assignor, but you might not be any happier afterwards.

If you are too busy to go to camp, then you cannot complain when you get overlooked. Sometimes going to camp is no more than keeping your name at the front of the list. You would not run a business without references or advertising would you?

How do you really know that no one complains about you? Seriously, how would you really know that? Many complaints are not going to be directed at you personally. And how long you have been working does not guarantee you anything either. There are people around here that have much more experience that you do and they cannot get a break. Part of the reason is they do nothing to stand out or they are just not as good in the eyes of the people that matter. At the very you are getting varsity. Is your schedule so much worse than people that are working with similar experience?

To the last question, I would feel blessed. Anytime you get varsity you need to be happy. Now you are talking about percentiles and that is not they way I look at it. I only get a lower level schedule after I get my varsity games. Usually my lower level games are about convenience rather than something I must do. So I do not work a system where I have to work anything I do not want to do. That being said, you need to compare your schedule to those around you and look at their experience and what they have or have not done.

Understand I have never seen you work, I have no idea the system you work under and I have no idea who you have to compare things do. I have been around long enough and I work with a lot of young officials that are in the same boat. Be careful about moving up too fast because it is not always what you think it is. If you have 100% of varsity games, that is more time to screw up or for someone to think you do not belong. Be patient and you might need to attend more camps to convince the powers that be you belong. After all camps are not always about learning, sometimes they are there to prove you are better than your peers.

Peace

I have a zero percentile for varsity games. It's my second year as a certified official, so I don't expect varsity games. Unsure if I'd even accept one at this point. I'd fill in if needed, but I know I need to get better. I have worked some varsity scrimmages (much cleaner play than working frosh level, where you see everything, almost easier in a way).

Truthfully, I'm torn...not much, but just a little. The competitive side of me wants to work varsity as soon as possible, I guess it's an ego thing, but another side of me, a bigger side, is just fine working less than varsity. Although I stick around and watch varsity officials somtimes, when I don't I'm home with my better half and kids by 7 or so.

I think it's important to step back every once in awhile and think about why we're putting on the stripes. I've always been active in sports, either playing or coaching my kids. It may be cliche, but I want to still be around it and I want to give back. Plus, I live in the land of cheese...what the heck else am I going to do during the long, cold winter?

Terrapins Fan,
Are all of your games assigned or do you contract independenlty with some schools? We contract independently around here. Last year, being new to the area, I agreed to a lot of lower level (7/8 - JV) games for this year early last season. That's dropped the number of V games I'll do this year, but that just means I'll tell the ADs that I'm available for V games and sign up for some of them first. The fact that I'm doing almost exclusively JV games this season doesn't mean I'm less of an official. It's just the way the schedule worked out this year. I also know that when I do a good job as a JV ref they're going to give me V games when openings come up this year and for next season. I'd try not to take it too personally.

Around my area, there are what we call "career JV officials," especially in the rural areas. Here all subvarsity games are assigned by the home school, so frequently watching the JV officials can be quite painful, as George from the local garage is the guy who's been doing these JV games for 25 years. No mechanics, no real judgment, but I've noticed that George gets very little grief because he is a known quantity and people know him, even if he's wearing white sneakers and parachute pants.

So to work JV games in some of these schools can typecast you around here, although the closer you get to the "city," the more we have the traditional "wanting to move up and paying dues" official working the JV game.

My partner took a couple of JV games this season to fill in a quiet week. I look at a quiet week as a blessing and turned him down when he asked. No big deal either way. I actually emailed him this morning and told him I'd work if he hadn't found anyone.

It probably sounds to a lot of people I don't enjoy working anymore, when actually that couldn't be farther from the truth. But I enjoy working football more these days and baseball is the sport I work the most and best (and the only one I work at the college level), so I am only a "during the season" guy now. It means I don't go to a lot of camps anymore (I'd rather work a weekend of baseball), but it doesn't mean I don't love being out there.

Our executive board assigns the games. They assign themselves games and they assign the members the games.

I have no doubt that is part of the problem. it has been for 3 years now.

We used to have an assignor that wasn't allowed to work games.

Now the assignor ( the board ) works games and assigns the games.

We are a small board about 40 officials and we cover about 15 schools.

Express your desire to move up. Accept any assignment that comes your way. Ask your assignor to evaluate you or work a game with you. Attend all of your meetings and attend camps. Most important keep your available dates up to date. If you show open be prepared to go anywhere he sends you and accept any assignment given to you.

Makes yourself the one he thinks of when a game opens up.

I hear ya.

I know a career JV official who is pretty good, but he just prefers being home at night. I also know a couple carrer JV officials who I'm dreading working with this season, much like the official you described but without the acceptance.

By the way, parachute pants rock, of course this comes from a guy who used to have a mullett and handle bar mustache (bring back the mullet! who's first?).

Fuzzy dice hanging from your rear view mirror, too?

George drives me nuts. I don't know how many times I've said to my partner that if we made the same call in the varsity game that George just made now, the crowd would go nuts.

I've also seen the white sneakers and parachute pants but you forgot the yellow lanyard and the pea-whistle....:D

Nah, the dice got in the way of my strands of beads...man, brings back memories of cruising in my Chevette listing to Styx on the 8-track...great stuff. I also sported my share of bell bottom jeans.

My favorite part is driving 90 miles, walking into the gym, and having all the local eyes follow you to your seat on the bleachers, all with the "you ain't from around here, boy" look to them.

Oh, I could've gone on. Byron collars (only on one of the two officials), pea whistles, black (faded to grey) cotton dockers with a woven brown belt, white socks, no hustle, letting coaches stand during JV games (forbidden here), letting coaches do whatever they want without repercussions and most often every little bump (or perceived bump) is called as a foul, usually with no fist, just a whistle and a point. Or an open hand for fouls and fists for violations, blah, blah, blah.

Frequently we see both teams in the double bonus in the third quarter, which is wonderful for game flow and for our (grrrrr) starting time. There are many times I'll turn to my partner (or he to me) and say, "I can't watch any more of this" and we'll go get dressed early.

And as for us "giving pointers" to these guys, they don't think there's anything wrong. They'll frequently sit in the stands for the varsity games and openly root for the home team and scream at us. It's a real culture shock for someone coming from somewhere else.

I don't even bother trying to give these guys pointers.

Rich............where are you from? This sounds horrible. Not to sound condescending, this would not be acceptable in Illinois.

That said , I had a partner years ago in a boys sophomore game who had a byron collar that his wife had cut off, now he had a Neru ref jersey "why should I spend the extra bucks" was his response.

Right next door......Wisconsin.

How true, how true.

Peace

As they say in the summer basketball scene, sometimes exposure means you get exposed.

Who did you PO last year? Who do they know? Might be something as simple as saying the wrong thing to the wrong person.

Might also be that all those varsity games showed that you have a lot to work on, as far as your assignor is concerned.

If you really want to know, you have to ask the assignors, and you can't take no for an answer. If they feel you're not up to snuff, you need to know why so you can fix the problem.

You are an independant contractor, so do what I did. Get yourself a dual enrollment with a different asscociation and go from there. Just be careful how you schedule your games you don't want to PO both associations. We all go through this at times. I was struggling with the dual membership, but once I did it I started getting more varsity games from both.

Also have the conversation with your assignor ask him what happened. Be prepared to hear things you don't want to hear. If there are negative comment from AD's and coaches you should be able to know about them. Good luck.

I would bet there are parts of Illinois where similar things can be found.