Calling all Sport Associations! Has this ever happen to you?

[Terrapins Fan]

Suppose I am 5'6" and 275lbs, will the camp make me a better official?

Suppose I am 55 years old and in my 4th year of being an official will the camp make me a better official than someone else in the 4th year who is 28?

Suppose I have dyslexia will a camp make me a better official?

Or are the camps there just to make money?????????

If you have the desire to be a better official, you will be a better official. I have a friend who went to 4 camps one summer, he didn't get any better assignments than I did for high school basketball. But he did have a ton of advice for everyone who didn't go to the camp.

All I can say, is whatever.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

Suppose I am 5'6" and 275lbs, will the camp make me a better official?

Suppose I am 55 years old and in my 4th year of being an official will the camp make me a better official than someone else in the 4th year who is 28?

Suppose I have dyslexia will a camp make me a better official?

Or are the camps there just to make money?????????

If you have the desire to be a better official, you will be a better official. I have a friend who went to 4 camps one summer, he didn't get any better assignments than I did for high school basketball. But he did have a ton of advice for everyone who didn't go to the camp.

All I can say, is whatever.

Camp will make you better if you go there with the right attitude and put the information in perspective. Not everything at camp is only about what assignments you have. Sometimes assignments have nothing to do with what you learn directly at camp. I have gone to professional organizational meetings and just like in officiating; you get out of them what you put into them. If you have distain for the process, you do not learn much while attending those functions. Most of what I have learned at camp did not come directly from the games I worked.

Peace

[runonmt]

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

Suppose I am 5'6" and 275lbs, will the camp make me a better official?

Suppose I am 55 years old and in my 4th year of being an official will the camp make me a better official than someone else in the 4th year who is 28?

Suppose I have dyslexia will a camp make me a better official?

Or are the camps there just to make money?????????

If you have the desire to be a better official, you will be a better official. I have a friend who went to 4 camps one summer, he didn't get any better assignments than I did for high school basketball. But he did have a ton of advice for everyone who didn't go to the camp.

All I can say, is whatever.

As you can see, my responses are rare and I only post when I'm seriously compelled to add to the discussion. I get your point about the 5'6" 275 lb ref. That's something that seriously effects performance that should and CAN be changed. I DON'T get the reference to the 55 year old ref. Does that mean I can't get better at age 56 (with only 6 years of experience)or that the 28 year old is, or can be, better then me strictly because of his age? Don't think so. At some point age can and does become a factor in performance and most of us recognize and know when that is - but it's rarely at 55 for anyone who maintains their physical conditioning. I've learned and applied as much in the past 6 years as any 28 year old could. I will concede the edge to years of experience but NOT any arbitrary age. Sorry, but I take strong exception to your reasoning and age example and have no idea how it relates to the conversation about performance evaluations.

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

Suppose I am 5'6" and 275lbs, will the camp make me a better official?

It all depends on what you're willing to put into the camp and how willing you are to learn.

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

Suppose I am 55 years old and in my 4th year of being an official will the camp make me a better official than someone else in the 4th year who is 28?

It all depends on what you're willing to put into the camp and how willing you are to learn versus how much he is willing to put into the camp and how willing he is to lean. But in my experience age and years of experience are not very good predictors of comparative performance.

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

Suppose I have dyslexia will a camp make me a better official?

What does dyslexia have to do with it? But again, assuming you can get some help properly reading the times and court numbers on your camp schedule...It all depends on what you're willing to put into the camp and how willing you are to learn.

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

Or are the camps there just to make money?????????

Of course the person who runs the camp is looking to make money. Why do people get their panties in a wad over this? It works to the camper's advantage. Like any other business, if they want your repeat custom, they have to provide a service worth the price they're asking.

The real question is: Is camp worth the money you'll pay.

The real answer is: It all depends on what you're willing to put into the camp and how willing you are to learn.

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

If you have the desire to be a better official, you will be a better official.

That is the absolute one indispensable requirement for getting better. But how much better will an official get during one season? That depends a lot on what kind of knowledgeable feedback he or she gets. Otherwise, it comes down to how many screw ups can I make in one season and learn from while not getting busted?

In my experience, I usually get more, more interested, and better feedback in a 2-3 day camp than I will get from all my partners and the handful of evaluators that I *MIGHT* see during the whole season.

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

I have a friend who went to 4 camps one summer, he didn't get any better assignments than I did for high school basketball. But he did have a ton of advice for everyone who didn't go to the camp.

All I can say, is whatever.

All Indians walk single file. At least the one I saw did.

How about this for anecdotal evidence? I've been to a dozen camps in the six summers I've been camping now. I have been a much more skilled official at the end of every one of those camps than I was when I began it. It didn't even matter who was making money off it, or how much. And every year my schedule has improved.

And I'm the least likely guy you'd ever meet to be able to say that. Being a 5' 6" 275 pound 55 year old 4th year guy with dyslexia, that would be an improvement.

It all depends on what you're willing to put into the camp and how willing you are to learn.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

Suppose I am 5'6" and 275lbs, will the camp make me a better official?

Suppose I am 55 years old and in my 4th year of being an official will the camp make me a better official than someone else in the 4th year who is 28?

Suppose I have dyslexia will a camp make me a better official?

If you have a desire to go to camp and get better, you will improve. You may never call varsity or move up to college or whatever, but if the camp is well run and the trainers are fair, yes, it will make you a better official.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

Suppose I am 5'6" and 275lbs, will the camp make me a better official?

While it may make the person a "better" official, it will not address thier most limiting issue...their ability to keep up with just about any game....even MS. Their time/money might be better spend on fitness training.

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

Suppose I am 55 years old and in my 4th year of being an official will the camp make me a better official than someone else in the 4th year who is 28?

It will make both better...but in general, younger people learn new things easier than an older person....but YMMV.

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

Suppose I have dyslexia will a camp make me a better official?

Quite likely. A person with dyslexia might have difficulty reading and learning from a book or magazine so on the court training might be the most benefical place to learn.

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

Or are the camps there just to make money?????????

Some of them are.

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

If you have the desire to be a better official, you will be a better official. I have a friend who went to 4 camps one summer, he didn't get any better assignments than I did for high school basketball. But he did have a ton of advice for everyone who didn't go to the camp.

All I can say, is whatever.

Just going to 4 camps doesn't necessarily mean a person will learn anything. It may not have addressed the #1 issue your assignor considers necessary for your friend to move up.

[Terrapins Fan]

I guess, I was venting a little. Our association is about young slender guys moving up quickly.

We have a rule that you don't get varsity games until after your 3rd year. BUT we had a young ( 20 yrs old ) slender guy in his first year got 3 varsity games. He had the look that they were looking for. The next year when the assignments were given out for December, I go 6 Varsity games, he got 8. His 2nd year, my 6th or 7th. I passed the part II with 96% he failed and had to give up his varsity games ( our policy is you have to have over 75% to do varsity games.)

That ticked my, but it's happened twice since then. It all politics. BTW, I am 6'2" and 240 and 53, so I know I am not a spring chicken.

[grunewar]

In your opinion, is this 20 yr old a good referee? Have you talked to others?

I have NO problems when good things happen to good people - i don't care about age, experience, looks, etc.

I always try to look at myself and others objectively. If I can look myself and my peers (whether at work or refereeing) and say - that guys better than me and should be where he is, I have no issues and I need to work harder on x, y, and z.

I can certainly understand being passed over or passed by, image/appearance, cronyism, the good ole boy system, or having a "sugar daddy," etc. (and we've had those discussions before.....several times, and lifes not fair, and yada yada, humma, humma, etc).

[Rich]

Originally Posted by grunewar

In your opinion, is this 20 yr old a good referee? Have you talked to others?

I have seen this scenario pan out. They do a good job, but better not have anything strange happen that requires more than the basic amount of game management. Instead of putting them out there as the R, they get hidden at U2 while decent Rs who aren't as pretty watch from the sidelines.

I've gotten over it. I will get the assignments I get. Doesn't make them better officials (or worse ones). Just the ones who get the games I'd like to work.

[JRutledge]

The problem is that there are people that think everything is decided based on merit. Even merit is subjective. Just look at the comments on this board about a 20 year old. I have seen 20 year olds much better than 20 year veterans. And when people hire people to do anything, they hire people they like, they can help, can mold, and can teach and work with.

Peace

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

I guess, I was venting a little. Our association is about young slender guys moving up quickly.

We have a rule that you don't get varsity games until after your 3rd year. BUT we had a young ( 20 yrs old ) slender guy in his first year got 3 varsity games. He had the look that they were looking for. The next year when the assignments were given out for December, I go 6 Varsity games, he got 8. His 2nd year, my 6th or 7th. I passed the part II with 96% he failed and had to give up his varsity games ( our policy is you have to have over 75% to do varsity games.)

That ticked my, but it's happened twice since then. It all politics. BTW, I am 6'2" and 240 and 53, so I know I am not a spring chicken.

I used to worry about that kind of stuff. All you can concentrate on is yourself, your progress, and your improvement. Worrying about others only leads to undue stress and frustration.

Usually after a while, creme rises to the top and the dirt settles to the bottom and there is plenty of room in between.

[Back In The Saddle]

TerrapinsFan, I totally get where you're coming from. I know that scenario all too well myself. And you are right: It's all politics.

Politics: the unwritten rules by which a group or organization really operates. Those who would succeed need to know what the rules are, and find ways to work within them too.

Young people often rise quickly based on "the look" and perceived potential. Man, it's easy to hate the game, and sometimes even the playah, when we don't have that kind of "automatic" in.

You and I have to break in on proven merit, through building relationships, and by controlling what we can control. This is where I live. Rules knowledge, hustle, mechanics, game management, mentoring younger officials, being a leader, infectious enthusiasm, availability, positive attitude, constantly working to get better, humility, being a team player, going to camps, and maybe most important of all, being seen to be doing all of that. That's stuff I can control. That's what's got me noticed. And this year, I'm even working very hard at being as "pretty" as I can be.

When I finally "make it" (which may well be this year, the jury is meeting soon to do rankings), me and the pretty boys will be back on equal footing. Only I'll have more experience, better game management skills, be more respected, and have all those other qualities that I "had" to learn....and they won't. So bring on the pretty boys; we R's need U99's to fill out the crew!