How long did you work HS before moving to college ball?

[tomegun]

Gimlet, you are from Richmond? That is where I'm from too. Do you know my cousin? He is a cop, on the school board, sings the national anthem at just about any event, sings at weddings and is basically a pain in the butt to go out with in town because he has to stop and talk to everyone.

What year did you graduate?

[MOofficial]

I'm 20 and this is my first year in college ball.

It really boils down to if your young and dont know many people, you have to go out and have something that the vets dont have to prove that your ready. Go to the right camps get to know the people that you need to know and dont go in thinking im going to work in this conference. Go in wanting to learn something and get better.

As a young official you go in to those camps, do the right things, impress the right people and it will all fall into place.

[btaylor64]

I agree with all that has been said here, even scrapper in all his "sad but true" rant.

IMO, I say go for it, without getting into details I got hired very young working college ball and got hired for JUCO the same season that I worked my first regular season of high school, so it's not out of this world or a novice idea that you try this. Just go try out.

[TRef21]

I worked one season of high school basketball comprising of frosh and JV boys and girls with one girls varsity game. I went to camp and got hired D3 and JC mens that summer I was 19 when I was hired that summer, but by the time the season started I was 20. So I called my first D3 game before my very first high school boys varsity game. I was actually in the high school for 2 years but since I was still a h.s. student they didnt give me a schedule. So when I was a freshman in college I got my first high school as i stated above then got hired that summer. Now 22 I'm in my 3rd season of mens college ball working in the only D3 conference in socal and 4 JC conferences. My goals are to officiate the D1 and D2 level.

[Scrapper1]

Originally Posted by btaylor64

I agree with all that has been said here, even scrapper in all his "sad but true" rant.

IMO, I say go for it, without getting into details I got hired very young working college ball and got hired for JUCO the same season that I worked my first regular season of college, so it's not out of this world or a novice idea that you try this. Just go try out.

First of all, I apologize if it sounded like I was ranting. That was absolutely not my intent. I was only trying to dispel the "it's all up to you" mentality and give a more realistic view of the many factors involved.

Secondly, I absolutely agree that you should go for it. Your youth will probably help you if you have some ability. Don't let that stop you. But the most important thing to moving up is to be seen by the right people. And the right people don't generally come out to watch local high school or rec league games. You have to get to the right camp. That was my main point: get to a camp where you're seen by the guys/gals who do the hiring.

[Gimlet25id]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

First of all, I apologize if it sounded like I was ranting. That was absolutely not my intent. I was only trying to dispel the "it's all up to you" mentality and give a more realistic view of the many factors involved.

Secondly, I absolutely agree that you should go for it. Your youth will probably help you if you have some ability. Don't let that stop you. But the most important thing to moving up is to be seen by the right people. And the right people don't generally come out to watch local high school or rec league games. You have to get to the right camp. That was my main point: get to a camp where you're seen by the guys/gals who do the hiring.

It is up to him if he goes or not (camp). That is what I was saying. In reality it ' "is all up to him." Does he go to camp? If he does does he take what he's given and use it to get better. Does he work hard @ getting better. Is he willing to make the sacrifices he takes to move up? Nothing more nothing less!

[Moshiner1345]

Camps... Camps... Camps... Everyone is saying stuff about camps. What camps have helped officials get noticed?

[btaylor64]

Originally Posted by Moshiner1345

Camps... Camps... Camps... Everyone is saying stuff about camps. What camps have helped officials get noticed?

I will list my camps that I went to and were seen at, just because they are truly great camps and I did get noticed which led to better things for me:

1.) George Toliver's Pro-Active Camp (Harrisonburg, Va)
2.) Roger Ayers(ACC) and Mike Eades(ACC) Camp.
3.)Any of Joe Forte's (NBA) camps.

I've been to plenty more, but as far as these not being try-out and camps and still getting you looked at, these are great camps.

[Scrapper1]

Originally Posted by Gimlet25id

It is up to him if he goes or not (camp). That is what I was saying. In reality it ' "is all up to him."

Look, I'm certainly not trying to pick a fight over this, but it's simply not ALL up to him. Certain things are up to him: the camps he attends, his conditioning, his work ethic. Other things are completely out of his control: his gender, how he is perceived by the assignor at camp, etc. That's all I'm saying. It's not ALL up to him, and I didn't want him to go away with the false impression that picking out a camp and going away for a weekend were going to land him a Juco schedule. There are other factors at play, obviously.

[Gimlet25id]

Originally Posted by tomegun

Gimlet, you are from Richmond? That is where I'm from too. Do you know my cousin? He is a cop, on the school board, sings the national anthem at just about any event, sings at weddings and is basically a pain in the butt to go out with in town because he has to stop and talk to everyone.

What year did you graduate?

Is it A. Stevens? Graduated in 1990.

[tomegun]

Originally Posted by Gimlet25id

Is it A. Stevens? Graduated in 1990.

That is funny; I knew if I described him to you it would probably be obvious. He knows EVERYBODY! Our mothers were sisters.

I guess we were in high school together for two years. Isn't there some sort of rule that says you can't do games at the high school in town. Doing a varsity game there is one of my dreams. Back in the days when Woody Austin was doing his thing the gym would be jumping! 8,000 people on a Friday night is an experience.

[Gimlet25id]

Originally Posted by tomegun

That is funny; I knew if I described him to you it would probably be obvious. He knows EVERYBODY! Our mothers were sisters.

I guess we were in high school together for two years. Isn't there some sort of rule that says you can't do games at the high school in town. Doing a varsity game there is one of my dreams. Back in the days when Woody Austin was doing his thing the gym would be jumping! 8,000 people on a Friday night is an experience.

Don't know him, know him. I did get a speeding ticket from him once. No talking him out of it. He played golf a couple of times in this weekend group I golf with this past summer. The church he was in or is in had an association with the church I used to be associated with. Real good dude!!!

Woody Austin....Hmmm those were the days. When Dominic James was coming through Tiernan almost felt like it did when Woody was playing. Not sure we will ever get those days back.

[Texas Aggie]

I worked 2 college games in my 4th year and a half a dozen or so in my 5th year. I started to camps (years ago when they weren't as numerous as they are now) after my second year and a lot of it was basically in the right place at the right time plus my willingness to do virtually everything I was told to do. Had I stayed with it at the time (I left officiating for a while), I don't think I would have broken into D1 before my 10th year at a minimum, if at all for several reasons -- some of which relate to a changing of the guard. At any rate, around here it isn't that difficult to get a college schedule as long as you are persistent, in reasonable shape, and have decent game management skills. If you are willing to go to the same camps for 3-5 years, sometimes with little or no official feedback in years 1-4, your persistence will pay off. Moving up to D1, however, is a bit of a different ball game.

Again, that's my experience where I am. Other parts of the country probably differ.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Texas Aggie

. At any rate, around here it isn't that difficult to get a college schedule as long as you are persistent, in reasonable shape, and have decent game management skills. If you are willing to go to the same camps for 3-5 years, sometimes with little or no official feedback in years 1-4, your persistence will pay off. Moving up to D1, however, is a bit of a different ball game.

That's seems to the norm in quite a few areas. Because of availability, etc, in some areas you can break into D3 & JUCO ball long before they'll even consider you for a good high school varsity schedule. Availability alone isn't a factor when you are trying to move up, though. There might be 20 equally-competent and experienced officials vying for one open D1 spot. Who gets that spot can be a crap shoot.

From my experience, Scrappy has the right take on what is facing people who truly want to move up.