Help setting up church league officials

[Terrapins Fan]

I have been officiating for 9 years now. I have been asked to help set up officials for a church league.

Help me not to forget anything.

What should I go over for the parents who are going to do the officiating?

I have ideas, I just don't want to miss something.

Thanks in advance.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

...parents who are going to do the officiating?

You're kidding, right?

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

I have been officiating for 9 years now. I have been asked to help set up officials for a church league. Help me not to forget anything. What should I go over for the parents who are going to do the officiating? I have ideas, I just don't want to miss something.
Thanks in advance.

It may be too advanced for your group of parent officials, but have you seen the list of Most Misunderstood Basketball Rules that I've posted a couple of times each year on this Forum? The list contains contributions from many Forum members. It's too long to post in a Private Message, I know that Forum members don't want to see the entire list again, and I want to be a "good citizen of the community". If you haven't seen it, then use the Advanced Search function, search for Most Misunderstood Basketball Rules, posted by BillyMac, on the Basketball Forum. Once you find the list, edit it to suit your group of parent officials. Good luck.

Better yet. Charge parents a few bucks to attend the game, sell some candy, popcorn, hot dogs, etc., and pay some local officials to work the games. I do Catholic elementary school games, six minute quarters, at $30.00 per game, per official. That's $60.00 per game for two offcials. If thirty parents show up to watch the game, at $2.00 per ticket, you break even.

[Back In The Saddle]

I've also been running the officials for a church league for a few years now. Will this just be a youth league? Or will there be a whiner adult league as well?

Some things that have helped me:

• If you want your refs to take it seriously, you need to create a "serious tone" to the job
• Get a core group of refs that you want to work with, and focus your time on them
• Let them know your expectations for their performance. You'll be surprised at how willing most people are to step up if they know what the expectations are and have some training in "how to get there"
• Before the season, hold a clinic. Teach them basic mechanics, especially floor positioning and areas. Teach them rules basics. I use Billy Mac's "Most Misunderstood Rules" for this. Everybody loves a good "mythbusters" handout. Then put them out on the floor to work a scrimage. Run with them, ask what they're watching, stop the action when something needs to be corrected. Kind of like a mini camp situation.
• Generally the hardest thing will be getting them to blow the whistle.
• Hold a couple of meetings during the season. Keep it to an hour. Talk mechanics, rules, take questions, encourage discussion, make any observations you have. To them, you'll appear as SuperRef. I've found it helps to bridge that gap by occassionally illustrating points with tales of my own screwups
• Offer lots of positive feedback, mixed with some constructive feedback.
• Show your appreciation for their volunteer efforts
• Ensure you and your league people always back them. Nothing destroys a corp. of volunteers faster than idiot league directors cutting their legs from under them.
• Be at some of the games. Treat it like a camp situation. My refs know that if I'm there, we'll be huddling up at timeouts, half time, between games, etc. They welcome it.
• Unlike a school league, or even a wreck league, the goals and aims of a church league are such that your refs should be encouraged to go beyond merely refereeing. They should be teachers on the floor. They should ensure a proper atmosphere exists.

Hope some of that helps. PM me if you have any questions about what I've done. Or just post 'em here.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

I use Billy Mac's "Most Misunderstood Rules" for this. Everybody loves a good "mythbusters" handout.

Thanks for the credit, but I want to be a good citizen of the community, and I feel the need to remind everyone that I am only the "keeper" of the "Most Misunderstood Rules" list. Consider me the "Head Mythbuster". The following Official Forum Basketball members have contributed to this list: bossref, Hartsy, Jurassic Referee, Camron Rust, Mark Padgett, Nevadaref, Mark Dexter, Dan ref, mdray, Jimgolf, elecref, Assignmentmaker, IREFU2, David M, JeffW, Back In The Saddle, rainmaker, texaspaul, and BktBallRef.

"And don't call me Shirley". I'm BillyMac. My twin brother, Billy Mac (note the space), often posts on the NFHS forum, you know, in the "Dead Zone". We are often confused with each other.

Thanks for using the list. I put a lot of work into it. The most up to date revisions were made on September 17, 2008. The list is too long to post in a Private Message, so if any Forum member would like an up to date copy, please send me a Private Message with your real email address. I promise that I won't send you any type of "Spam", and I will delete your email address, unless its Mary Struckhoff's email address, as soon as I send out the list.

[Terrapins Fan]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

You're kidding, right?

It's time they got theirs......then they will understand a little when their kid gets to middle school and beyond.....Thanks

BTW, it pays nothing, it's about the kids ( to an extent ) My son played here for one year... there are some nutty coaches in the church league.

[Terrapins Fan]

Well, I have learned a lesson....I was asked to "teach" young people how to become an official. No problem....so today, I was supposed to do that. I got all my stuff ready and went to the meeting after church.

It was an organizational meeting, not a teaching meeting.

A long story short, I am now in charge of training and scheduling officials.

Be careful what you volunteer for...I really don't mind so much, but it's not what I was expecting.