HS Varsity
 

Just curious from something mentioned in a different thread where a second year official stated working predominately HS varsity and JV games. What year did y'all begin to work HS varsity games...please also include whether you're in a rural vs. metro area, as it seems officials may be called upon to work varsity contests a bit sooner in rural areas.

I am in a Metro area.
We have about 110 schools we do.
I have my first ever officially assigned Varsity game tomorrow night.
I am at the beginning of my 4 th year.

I live in a very rural area with lots of small schools (150-200 kids in a 7-12 grade building), and am in my first year of HS ball. I took an officiating basketball class and did some rec ball tied into that 6 years ago, but I am for all intents and purposes a rookie. That being said, they're so hard up for officials out here that I was called for a Varsity gig the other night. I turned it down, telling them that I was not state certified. I had heard that i would get calls like this, and frankly did not get certified this year so there would be no temptation to take a Varsity game. Sub-V I'm okay with, but I'm not willing to put myself or the teams through the brtuality that is a rookie ref learning the ropes. At least, not with me anyways.:p

Don, you're a wise man. Don't put yourself in a position where you might fail until you're confident you can handle it.

I worked rec leagues for several years before signing up with the state association. My first year, I worked middle school and JV games. Then, I got a varsity doubleheader on the last Firday night of season. It was a result of making 100 on the NFHS exam, making somegood impressions, and staying out of trouble all year. The next year, I got a full varsity schedule and have ever since.

The building blocks for success in officiating. Though I haven't gotten 100 on my tests yet, I did get 99 this year, which is about 1 above my average.

I'm a grinder in this officiating deal. I just keep plugging away. And now I'm getting better games.

Similar to Don, I am in my 6th yr of officiating (rec), but my second with certification (HS). I live in a metro area with lots of opportunity.

I have done one regular season V game (private school) and several scrimmages. While several of my evaluators have said "with two senior partners I could do a V game," I am content to continue to learn from sr officials, become more competent and confident, and wait my time..... at least for a little longer anyhow. ;)

I got my first assigned V games in my 4th year, and had a full V schedule in my fifth year. That's early for my association. Most don't get any V games until 5 or 6 and don't get more than 3-6 V games until 6 or even after. But I won't get any play-off games for another few years. There is a lot of competition here (Portland, OR metro area) for the best games, and I 'm nowhere near ready. This season would be my 8th, but I"m taking a leave of absence, although I may do a little rec just to keep my whistle from getting rusty.

My story is real similar to BktBallRef

Worked some summer rec leagues for a parks department while in college. One of the guys who helped us ref was a certified official and he talked me into joining our local association a few years later.

My first year, I worked middle school and JV games. Then, they gave me a couple small-school varsity games (with strong partners) towards the end of the year after our assignor received some calls from veterans in regards to my progress.

The next year, I got a full varsity schedule with our smaller schools and then our a "big school" varsity schedule the year after that.

Our association covers an area that is both urban and suburban. We have enough officials, but not a surplus so opportunity to get some varsity games in your 2nd or 3rd year is there if you have some talent and work hard.

I guess I'm different than a lot of guys...so far I have not really had the desire to do HS ball (until this year). I'm in my 7th year...never done a V game...Took my state test originally back in fall of 99', scored an 88...got my patches...kept my license current until the end of the 2005 season.

I got into reffing for something to do after I had my knee worked on and stopped playing with the guys and to also be involved in the game alongside coaching my kids....started working in a local rec league, joined their board and have been working games at a hoops faciity. The games I work are competitive travel leagues for Jr. High aged kids, AAU and some Frosh/JV stuff at the facility. I really enjoy this age group and choose to stay where I'm at. I think I like the involvement/interraction/instruction I have with the kids and feel like I'm making an impression and that's why I am where I am at.

With that said, I've noticed that I have started to appreciate the older kids more and have been asked by a few guys I work with to join their association and get on some HS games. I feel like I'm a decent ref, I work hard and remain professional regardless of the level and I enjoy it.

IAABO Board #6
 

Here, in Central Connecticut, officials will not get a full varsity schedule until they have completed at least three seasons of junior varsity ball (the first season doesn't count, it's a probationary season), and at least three seasons of "split" ball (some varsity and some junior varsity games). I say "at least" because their promotion depends on their ratings from fellow officials, 80% of which counts toward their junior varsity or varsity ranking. The fastest an official can get a full varsity schedule would be seven years, including the first probationary year.

What does "full varsity" mean? Does that mean exclusively varsity? Because almost no one in Portland gets that. Even tournament refs do at least a few JV or freshman games each year. The only exception would be refs who do mostly college and hs varsity is their "slummin", but we don't have a lot of those.

I have had a few calls to do varsity contests. I told the AD's I was not ready for varsity games. They thanked me for my honesty and told me they would keep me in mind for the future. I am in my 2nd year and love reffing any game I can get. I did a 4th and 5th grade game a few days ago. I treated it with the same importance I would give a V high school game. I Love This Job!!!(Hobby):D

Similar to others, rec ball for 2 years before joining a HS association. JV my first season, Varsity split games the 2nd season, and a full varsity schedule the 3rd season, with my first State tournament game that same year.

I live in the Twin Cities metro area and the third game I ever reffed in my life was a girls varsity game. Luckily it was a 3 man crew so I was able to hide many of my shortcomings (and there were plenty). The rest of that first season was spent working JV, 10th grade, 9th grade, mens rec league, and AAU ball. In all I worked nearly 100 games that first year. I didn't see another varsity game until my fourth year of officiating and then I only had two varsity games. It wasn't until my sixth year that I truly had a full varsity schedule that consisted of about 25 games. It was also in my sixth year that I received my first playoff assignment and ironically I was assigned to work the first two rounds of the playoffs that year.

I'm now in year seven and looking forward to many more years of varsity ball. I used to think that I wanted to work small college ball but now I'm not so sure about that. I find that working high level HS ball is very satisfying and I'm not sure I would want to drive 3-4 hours (each way) for a $120 contract.

As Sheryl Crow said, its not about getting what you want, rather its about wanting what you got. I'm there.

1892.

I live and work in southeast Missouri.. I began calling ball back in 1996 local kwanis leagues for elementary age kids. I moved up to Jr. Hi in 99. Had to stop for awhile because of an injury in 2000. I started again 02 and didn't begin working at the Varsity level until 04. 06 was my first season with what I would call a full Varsity level schedule

I've been knocking this around since 1987 now.

Back then I was in college and didn't work any varsity games - was happy to work JV and FR and Jr. High games. Moved to Tennessee for graduate school and worked a season-and-a-half before being promoted to the varsity group.

Have moved a few times since then, but I've worked mainly varsity games and now that's all I do. I'd rather stay home with my family than add subvarsity games to my already sagging schedule. I blew my knee out in January and my first game back is tomorrow night.

Good luck with the game, Rich. Let us know how it goes.

I'm one of those guys everybody figured would be least likely to succeed at this. But I just wouldn't go away and kept working my tail off. I got my first varsity games in my fourth year. I've had a few more this year. At this point I want to just keep my head down and get comfortable working small school varsity before I worry about trying to move up.

Hey BITS that about sums up my experience too. One of my trainers in my first on court training deal asked me if I was sure this was something I wanted to do. Also managed to get myself into an argument with another trainer that same day.:eek: Not the greatest of starts but just like you wouldn't go away and here I am. :)

Tonight is my first Varsity assignment. Small school boys. I am working with the Head Assigner-so its kinda double duty tonight.

I am also a believer in the keeping my head down and working hard....

I've worked a full baseball and football season since, so I think the knee will be OK.

I've dropped 30 pounds so far and 2 pants sizes. It was time to get myself in a shape other than round and take some pressure off the knees. I still have a ways to go, but I feel like I'm better prepared for the season than I've been in quite some time.

It's 3-person girls tonight (Illinois), so I'm not sure how much hard running I'll actually do. But Thursday is 2-person boys (Wisconsin), and the teams like to run. It will be a much better test. Even in good (better is a more appropriate word, according to my results on the elliptical machine) shape, I'd much prefer moving fully to 3-person here -- it makes for better officiating, without a doubt.

I'm not sure how many more years I have on the court. I'm fully scheduled for this season and next right now and mainly I didn't want to go out on someone else's terms, but I'm not sure how much I'm loving basketball anymore. Tomorrow will be very important for me in many ways.

Varsity
 

I am from Pennsylvania, in a rural area. I started with a handful of varsity games during my third year. I did however stayed and did the varsity during my second year when an official didn't show up. After my third year I recieved a decent schedule since, with a slight increase in games and quality of games.

I worked varsity ball my first year. I only worked about 3 or 4 games. These were for mostly last minute assignments and one or two 3 Person games when it was originally a 2 Person game. And yes I lived in a rural area and that did make a huge difference in those opportunities. I moved shortly to a metropolitan area in the same state and I was given varsity games right off the bat because I had previous varsity experience and I went to assignors camps to prove I could officiate. Ever since my second year I have worked what I would call a full varsity schedule. I did mostly girl's basketball in the beginning and it took some time to get more boy's games. It was just the reality that they did not have the same requirements to work girl's games as they do to work boy's games. I likely was not "ready" but I had to get ready pretty quickly. Also many of the games early on were with a partner that had more experience and I benefited from his experience to get that opportunity and to maintain those opportunities. When I moved to the larger area, it was all what I could do. Then again I had a few years of varsity under my belt and I was much more seasoned at that time.

Peace

In my area having a full varsity schedule means you work every Friday and Saturday of the season. Depending on whether you do a lot of Boy's or a lot of Girl's games, the night during the week when those games are played the most (That night for boy's games is usually Tuesday) of the season. Of course there are many officials that work college games on Saturday and they are not available to work a HS game. And there are so many officials in the current area I live; assignors do not ask many veterans to work freshman and JV games. There are people that might seek those games, but in one conference I was not allowed to work those games because those games were for the younger officials. And the other assignors never ask or require me or others in similar positions to work those games.

Peace

Interesting thread folks.

I'm in my 6th year in my association and I would say I am one of those "split" referees. Most of my GIRLS games this year are varsity games. I do have a few frosh/soph but they are double headers with varsity games. I also have a few JV girls games alone because the varsity contests for those schools (private/catholic) are considered "high caliber" varsity which only for the "best" officials.

For the boys side, I do pretty much all frosh/soph and JV games with a few small school varsity games.

For me, I can't say I've had a logical progression. My schedule's been screwed in the past due to work issues so other officials may have passed me if they have more availability. However, I am generally pretty happy with any games I get.

I feel like I've improved in recent years so I think when I'm able to do more of a full schedule (depends on how my job goes), I will get more chances.

That was me. We are in a rural area and without a lot of experienced officials. That being said, we don't have very many young (new) ppl doing V level games. They are always 3 whistle and I'm with 2 more experienced officials. And I'm good enough not to screw up anymore than the next guy. Which is sometimes often.

I started off working some MS games right after I graduated high school. The next year, I joined the local chapter and went through the training course. I actually grew up with the son of one of the guys running the training, so he kinda took me under his wing. After my first year doing Fresh/JV games, my assignor called me and told me the chapter would sponsor me to go to another chapter's 3-person camp. Of course I went, and my evaluators gave me plenty to work on but said I was doing real well. I also went to a free mini-camp held by my chapter and was evaulated by many of the higher ups.

Much to my surprise I've gotten a handful of 3-person girls varsity games this season (my 2nd with the chapter) and some more small school 2-person varsity, both boys and girls.

I started working varsity with 4 games my first year. I was in Nebraska then. I had a pretty full schedule in year 2 and have been doing varsity games ever since. I moved to MN 3 years ago and was able to start with mostly small school varsity but am now working some of the bigger conferences.

I live in a metro area and I got my first V games in my 4th year. My 5th was a full schedule of V games and my 1st playoff games. I got my 1st state championship in my 7th year. These numbers are a little early for my area, but not unprecedented.

I guess it won't be an important day, unless you include moving snow.

Probably for the best. My game was in Rockford, IL and I live just north of Madison, WI and the Rockford Public School website says all after school activities are cancelled. With the belt of freezing rain from here to there, it's probably better to just sit home and watch hockey and Boston Legal on TV. It would've been the first girls game I worked in IL in the six years I've worked down there, too.

First game Thursday, then. What's another 2 days?

I worked 2 varsity games my first year, but they were due to scheduling mistakes. In my second year, I worked a ~15 game varsity schedule (along with many subvarsity games), but that was in a Texas chapter that served mostly smaller school districts. In the chapter I currently work (and started in; long story), things have changed. Now, few, if any, have a "full" varsity schedule (i.e. no subvarsity unattached to varsity games) before their 10th season, if then.

If you define "full" as having 20-25 varsity games a season, then I'd say 5th year minimum around here (very few exceptions) and some guys closing in on 10 years that don't have such a schedule. The increase of 3 man has certainly moved guys up. We now work *almost* exclusively 3 man for varsity. I would love to go 3 man for all HS, but I'm not sure we could cover that.

There's no rule. We had a similar discussion about playoff assignments in the football board.