Why We Ref
 

I work with a guy who is about 73 years old or so. The last 2 years he has slowed down, alot.

No one has the heart to tell him, but coaches are complaining at every level. Our association has limited his Varsity games ( we work 3 man Varsity ) so, varsity games are easier for him to work and easier for us to help him out. So , he does a lot more 2 man games with younger officials. That's harder on both of them. I know the board doesn't want him to come back next year. Any way, here's my point.

Why does he continue to referee? He has loads of money. It's not the money. He has been a boss in many jobs. It's not the power ( he never has called a "T" in nearly 40 years. ) He does it for the friendships with other refs. If he wasn't refereeing, he would be sitting at home and dying. He would be lonely, his family is grown. He works part time, so he has that. But he referees all year round. Most years he does more than 100 games. This year about 45 to 50. Everyone loves him, but his time has past.

How would you want it broke to you if you hit that point?

Why do you referee?

I love the friendships with other refs but I love basketball itself. I played in high school, Rec league and coached and owned a team. If I felt I wasn't able to hold my own I would want smeone to tell me. There are other things we can do and stay involved.

I have no idea. Sounds like a tough situation. I think this might be a job for the assignors to handle depending on games are assigned.

I officiate because I love the sports I am officiating. I love the challenge to do a good job night in and night out. And I love the pressure that officiating brings. And mostly I love to meet new people on a regular basis and I officiate with and getting to know great people from all walks of life. That is pretty much it.

Peace

And someone in your association should get him involved.....mentoring, evaluating, etc.

I agree. But we have no evaluators. they were removed and done away with about 5 years ago. makes it harder to move up now and that's what they powers that be wanted.

I know the feeling. I worked with a gentleman (71 years) at a 7th/8th doubleheader. In the combination of both games, he blew his whistle seven times. When this gentleman was in his "prime" as an official, he worked two state championship games.

Here is an idea... why don't you see if the gentleman would be interested in riding along with you to the games, but not actually work. That way he is still exposed to the friendships and can also see basketball games.

That is what I would want to hear. There is certainly a time when stepping off the court is the right thing to do.

PS This is one reason that I believe that an age limit is a necessity for a HS association. It saves a great deal of hassle.

Wow! That doesn't make sense imo. The whole idea of evaluation isn't really to worry about anyone "moving up". The idea should be to increase the skill level of <b>all</b> officials and also to ensure that proper mechanics, interpretations, new rules, etc. are being practiced by <b>everybody</b>. There's really no down side to evaluations imo if they are done positively and consistently.

Whatintheheck is your association thinking of? Any reason(s) they quit doing them?

Naw, I don't agree with that. Every official is different. I knew when it was time for me to back off. However, there are officials here older than I am that are still reliable and able to do the job. It just depends on the person.

how appropriate for this thread - in my mail the other day was the Officials Quarterly by NFHS - an article titled "why don't they retire - by longtime football official Jerry Sulecki. Although he doesn't give a clear decision on how to answer this - I agree with a quote "Officiating is not something I do - it's what I am. Officiating defines and dominates my life". Maybe thats why its tough to give it up. It doesn't seem like anyone side of the equation; assignor, association or official can come up with an easy answer to determine when it is time to retire.

There are a couple of older (70+) officials in my association and they still TRY to officiate. I am on the younger side of my group and have been at this for 13 years. I am poised and ready to take on more challenges IF these officials would/could realize that their time has passed. I worked with one last year and he told me "that he had cataract surgery, a bad hip and would not be switching on any fouls" - that may work with him with the coaches but it certainly would not work for me as I am still earning coaches respect.

On the flip side :) I worked with an official last year who let it be known that it would be his "farewell tour" as he felt that it was time and wanted to go out on his terms. I left that game with the utmost respect and admiration for that official AND thinking "thats the way I want to leave the game".

If he can't do the job properly, then he needs to stop. That is unacceptable. He needs to pull his own weight. I don't care what the coaches think. What about what his fellow officials think?

And if each person is judged upon merit that's fine, but the problem is that they are not. I've seen certain old-timers get preferential treatment while others were not dealt with in the same manner.
Friendships and other such factors enter into it and that is where the system breaks down.

Pass a fitness test, pass a rules test, pass an eye exam, earn a certain score from an objective evaluation on the court...and I'd be fine with it, but we both know that isn't what happens in most places.

I've worked with officials that weren't particularly fit, never had good marks on the exam and didn't have good eyesight either. They sureasheck could pass an objective evaluation test though because they were great officials.

I could care less if an official can run like a deer, see everything and get 100% on all their exams. I care if they can <b>officiate</b>. Being pretty don't mean squat.

I referee because:

(1) Love for the game.
(2) To assist the kids in sportmanship
(3) To piss off coaches ;)
(4) Because the wife saves my regular paycheck like a bank(without any interest) and I don't have any money for gas! :D

I ref for the money and the groupies. :D

Seriously though, I hope when/if I am no longer capable of doing "the job" and if I personally don't see it, someone has the "stones" to take me aside and let me know. It's called "tough love."

As a manager for many yrs you need to counsel, mentor, provide evaluations, tell people they're not going to get promoted or a raise, etc. Tough, but it must be done. Those Sr. in the Association's should have this responsibility - gotta take the good with the bad. JMO

Our evaluations were used to improve and to get play off games. Several of our top officials ( those on the board ) didn't get the games they thought they should, so they voted in executive committee to eliminate evaluators. that was in my 3rd year. Now in my 8th year, and people in the 4th and 5th year have never been evaluated. If you are doing something wrong, how would you know?

Chicks dig the stripes!

Really?

eir a

This is probably the dumbest thing I've read in a long time. Yes some guys can't let go and there are some guys 70 + that take care of themselves and there are lazy *** young guys that can't remember the last time they saw their feet and have no business doing a fifth grade game let alone a varsity game. Doing 3 man has extended the careers of many officials. Besides that I think the association will get therir *** sued for age discrimination.

Be careful what you wish for. Someday you will get there.

PS

I'm not an old guy. Getting close but not there yet

Sounds like it's time for someone to stand up in a meeting and say "I want some sort of evaluation system put in place" and then let the bickering begin.

And the guys on the exec committee have all the power and can as they wish and take whichever games they want. Sadly this happens in many areas.

I never mentioned your good looks. ;)

Regarding the original situation with the 73 year old guy, I'd say it's probably time for his assignors to step in. If they've got an official doing a sub-par job, then that reflects badly on the assignor, too. Not sure what it's like in the rest of the country, but around here the assignors work for the AD's of their respective leagues. If those assignors can't send qualified officials on a nightly basis, then the AD's will get rid of them and find someone who can. "Why is Assignor Joe always sending me this old guy who can't keep up with everybody?"

3-person mechanics were not put in place to extend the careers of officials. It's there to get an extra set of eyes during the game to cover more area and reduce the likelihood of missing something.

Personally, I don't think I could ever tell an elder official that it's time for them to call it quits, but as an assignor, I think that's part of their duties...albeit an unpleasant one...much the same as if they were somebody's manager at a regular daytime job, and had the unpleasant task of firing somebody.

And lastly, let's all remember that we're on that court for the players, too. By not being able to keep up during the game and get in the best viewing position to make calls, he's doing a disservice to the players in the games he works.

That's my 2 cents...

I started officiating for 2 reasons. 1. I love basketball and when I'm not officiating it I'm playing or watching. Secondly, I do it for the exercise.

I officiate because getting paid to exercise sure beats paying money to work out in a health club. I enjoy the spirit of competition between teams, and also the comraderie with my partners. Some nights are obviously better than others, but the season(s) as a whole are fulfilling for me.

In order

1. The game... I love sports in general and I cant play... so.. this is the next best thing

2. Its a release. I have 2 very young kids, and honestly.. Getting out of the house is good.

3. The kids... Its good to be able to teach kids the rules of the game by being a good official.

4. The challenge. Learning the rules... enforcing the rules... doing it right.

5. Exersice.... need to get and keep in shape.

6. The money. I still can believe we get paid for this. :D


My take on the older ref... Let him.. dont let him do important games.. varsity.. but.. if he wants to ref lower level games... Let him. as long as hes switching on fouls.... so what if hes not as fast down the court. The lower levels can use good refs to teach us young pups. I've worked with a coulple of older guys who cant get down the court, and on fast breaks... If I beat them to half court... I just continued. I know its not a proven mechanic, but in these lower level games.. I'm still fast enough to beat all these kids end to end and then the call is still right. The older guys appreciated it too, and I can still refer to them when I have questions. It all works out. ;)

73? A mere child next to guy in my area who is 83 and is still at it. I saw him doing my daughter's feeder games 10 years ago and thought he was ancient.

God bless him. If I'm not mistaken he did a final four game back in the day.

When was that? Was that the same year that JR finally decided to hang em up? :p

Seriously....???? No "T" in 40 years??? How is that even possible.

I dont think I could tell the guy to hang it up, that should be left to the assignor.

I ref because I love the game, always have, always will.

~~~

Love the game, love working with the kids, love getting paid for the exercise. And when I'm 73, I can still do all those things by doing lower level games, and mentoring and evaluating. Which is my plan.

Patience is the ability to endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset, or to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties.

So in the last almost 40 years, he never had anyone reach across the boundary and slap the ball? He never had 2 delay warnings on the same team in the same game? He never had a game with an illegal substitution? He never had too many players on the court? He never had a player report in without being in the book? etc., etc., etc.

I have to tell you, I find that hard to believe.