How good/bad is your association involved in politics?

[bb70]

Just want to ask you how good/bad is your association involved in politics. In my association, there is a good old boy system/group that takes over the board of directors and does not want to improve the association at all!

We only had five meetings last season and not even half the officials show up. They will not require mentors to help out the rookies.

Too bad the next closest association is 200 miles away.

[JRutledge]

Let me first say that I am not one who buys into the whole "politics" discussion that many officials like to have. I feel ultimately everyone has a system and if they work within that system they can benefit or parish. I honestly feel that most officials use any downfall as an excuse for their careers despite what is actually true.

Having said that that politics in my area exists, but it has little or nothing to do with the overall success of officials or who does what. There are all kinds of factors to how an official can succeed and the organizational structures where I live only play a small role in what an official can or cannot do. I guess I do not consider it bad or good. It is what it is. And at least where I live I have to please multiple people in order to work games which leads to other opportunities. None of this is in the hands of one or two people.

Also you said that the association does not make mentors help out the rookies. I guess what I do not understand is how can anyone make someone help people if they do not want to? I know I found my own mentors and did not need an association structure to find people that I thought were helpful to me personally. I would agree that associations are there to help officials achieve a common goal, but that goal is not always to help everyone out in a structured way. In other words, if you get games from your association, that might be the main focus of the association. The multiple associations that I belong to main focus are training. So I get out of if what I decide to put into it.

Peace

[tomegun]

I'm sure this isn't the case 100% of the time, but I think a good official will eventually make it hard for politics to hold him/her back. There just seems to always be a way for a good official to work games. I've seen politics all over the country and eventually good officials achieve some level of success. It might not always be what is desired, but it is success.

[fullor30]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Let me first say that I am not one who buys into the whole "politics" discussion that many officials like to have. I feel ultimately everyone has a system and if they work within that system they can benefit or parish. I honestly feel that most officials use any downfall as an excuse for their careers despite what is actually true.

Having said that that politics in my area exists, but it has little or nothing to do with the overall success of officials or who does what. There are all kinds of factors to how an official can succeed and the organizational structures where I live only play a small role in what an official can or cannot do. I guess I do not consider it bad or good. It is what it is. And at least where I live I have to please multiple people in order to work games which leads to other opportunities. None of this is in the hands of one or two people.

Also you said that the association does not make mentors help out the rookies. I guess what I do not understand is how can anyone make someone help people if they do not want to? I know I found my own mentors and did not need an association structure to find people that I thought were helpful to me personally. I would agree that associations are there to help officials achieve a common goal, but that goal is not always to help everyone out in a structured way. In other words, if you get games from your association, that might be the main focus of the association. The multiple associations that I belong to main focus are training. So I get out of if what I decide to put into it.

Peace

My parish is Our Lady of the Holy Blarge

[SWMOzebra]

The "good old boy" politics to which the OP refers is probably present at some level (big or small) in all officiating associations. In a group setting, it's almost impossible to remove politics from the equation.

However, I completely agree with the others who are right to say that (1) it won't hold back good officials who are truly intent on improving and (2) you can complain about it or deal with it.

Locally, we have two basketball associations. The big one has 95% (or more) of the games and the small one gets the balance, but the small one also books for several NAIA colleges locally and has some top-caliber officials. I ultimately went with the smaller association, knowing I would get fewer varsity games but I also got intense "coaching/mentoring/harassing to improve" by the guys (and gals) in our group. For me, it was the right decision but I certainly don't knock anyone for choosing the larger association. Simply a matter of preference.

[jdw3018]

Originally Posted by SWMOzebra

Locally, we have two basketball associations. The big one has 95% (or more) of the games and the small one gets the balance, but the small one also books for several NAIA colleges locally and has some top-caliber officials. I ultimately went with the smaller association, knowing I would get fewer varsity games but I also got intense "coaching/mentoring/harassing to improve" by the guys (and gals) in our group. For me, it was the right decision but I certainly don't knock anyone for choosing the larger association. Simply a matter of preference.

Just out of curiousity, do you have to choose or could you join both?

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by bb70

Just want to ask you how good/bad is your association involved in politics. In my association, there is a good old boy system/group that takes over the board of directors and does not want to improve the association at all!

We only had five meetings last season and not even half the officials show up. They will not require mentors to help out the rookies.

Too bad the next closest association is 200 miles away.

*ONLY* 5 meetings?

How many meetings do you expect to have to go to for 1 association?

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by Dan_ref

*ONLY* 5 meetings?

How many meetings do you expect to have to go to for 1 association?

I know of an association in Ontario that meets twice a week from September to November, then once a week after that until March. A second association meets every other week from October to March.

Is that a lot?

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by socalreff

Wow, ya'll are spoiled around the country. We are required to attend 18 hours of instruction in unit meetings before we're even qualified to work one game.....And pass a 200 question test....and another 100 question test.
That's 7 meetings besides any camps or clinics.

18 hrs of instruction EVERY YEAR??

If so that is plain nuts.

[Adam]

My, how parochial of you.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by socalreff

I guess that's why we have the best officials in the country right here.

Is that who you had on the Mater Dei game?

Seems that a few of your fellow officials out there kinda disagree with your assessment.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Is that who you had on the Mater Dei game?

Seems that a few of your fellow officials out there kinda disagree with your assessment.

I'm sure those were no-cal referees. socal has already informed us his opinion of the nocal guys.

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by socalreff

Every single year. I guess that's why we have the best officials in the country right here....at least for the 1st 5 years of anyone's career, there's no place you can get better faster with the level of instruction, amount of games, and quality of play.

So while the rest of us are working scrimmages your officials are sitting in a classroom every fall.

Sure, I can see how that would make you think you're the best officials in the country. This stuff is easy in the classroom.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Dan_ref

*ONLY* 5 meetings?

How many meetings do you expect to have to go to for 1 association?

We have 7 meetings with a requirement to attend 5. Plus we have to attend a VHSL clinic.

Used be 9 meetings/7 required.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by socalreff

There's no point in working scrimmages without knowing the rules. Scrimmages are an additional requirement. If you don't work a a scrimmage, you don't get games either.

You need 18 hours of instruction every year to know the rules? Long term memory issues?