Wanting To become An Offical
 

Im a high school senior who is wanting to officate next year at college. I have contacted the state activites assciation and they said they would send me the paperwork to become licensed. Now for the harder part. What is the best advice you can give to someone jsut starting out. any and all help will be appricaited.

Not Young and Stupid
 

Don't assess yourself as "young and stupid." You are, rather, "pre-dinosaur" and "smart"!
I started back in the seventies when, in a college of only 400-some students, there was an unofficial-yet-active officals' organization. They trained and were assigned to do area middle-school games. That served as the incubator of better things to come.
Identify whether on your campus there is an official or unofficial officials' group. Start with the local (local to the campus) official's association as a contact. For sure join that association to get a foot in the door. Apply for certification in the state you're going to school at.
That should get you going.
Keep us updated on where it leads you.

Get involved with officiating intermurals! A lot of times they will train you and you'll receive more instruction than through the local HS association.

Hey! Jurrasic isn't pre-dinosaur.

MTD, Sr.

T-Tex
 

Of course. Haven't you seen the movie "Jurassic Park". Wasn't Jurassic Referee the one in the outhouse that got eaten in one bite by the Tyranosaurus Rex, which is odd, because I believe that T-Tex was a Cretaceous dinosaur, as well as a band in the mid-1970's, whose best hit was "Bang the Gong".

http://re3.mm-a3.yimg.com/image/2714832000

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...xatWheeley.jpg

"hello, Newmannn!
 

:o

"Hello, Newmannn ??????
 

I don't think so. I believe that "Newman" was dragged out of his jeep and eaten by a Dilophosaurus, the "Spitter".

http://www.varoomvroom.com/media/02-04-07/jp_spit.jpg

http://re3.mm-a4.yimg.com/image/2968498450

http://re3.mm-a5.yimg.com/image/3197011675

http://re3.mm-a11.yimg.com/image/164583686

Since you haven't really gotten any answers to your real question, I'll just throw out a few things for you to think about.

1) Get a rulebook and study it. You'll be amazed at how much you DON'T know about the rules of basketball. Everybody -- players, coaches, fans, announcers -- thinks he knows the rules. But very few actually do. Study the rules all the time.

2) Get a good looking uniform. Don't use old shirts with collars. Don't use canvas sneakers. Get beltless pants.

3) Work on your mechanics in a mirror. It helps to see yourself giving the signals and see if you're doing them correctly.

4) Join an association where you can get mentoring and/or additional training.

5) Read this forum and post questions here. You'll get good answers from some very knowledgeable officials. You'll also get dopey answers with links to movie references, but you'll get used to that.

Good luck.

Jurassic Park

The love child of Chan Ho and Jurassic.

I agree with Scrapper1. Do all that he wrote and you are off to a good start. On thing no one has mentioned is this: When you put the stripes on, make it a badge of humbleness and serving rather than arrogance and boasting. Your job every game is to give your kids, coaches and parents the best game they've ever had.

The game is about the kids and families, not about YOU and your stripes. Keep this at the forefront of what you do and you will be a great official.

I am a high school teacher and I'm always recruiting and encouraging our graduating senior ball players to consider officiating. It keep them in the game and they can make a few bucks as well.

Have fun college kid, and keep a smile on your face!

Contact your college's campus recreation department and start as an inTRAmural sports official. It's a good way to make some money and gain valuable game experience (assuming you have an Intramural Coordinator who's serious about officiating) on nights you're not working junior high or high school ball. On your school's search page, type in "intramural" or "campus recreation." That should get you to the right people/department.

I would also recommend working more than just one sport in intramurals. You'll see more and different kinds of game management situations that will help you develop your own philosophy and game.

Best of luck. Where are you going to school?