Dressing to go to a game

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I do not wear a uniform to a game much more than weather considerations. It looks stupid to me........

It looks stupid to show up to officiate wearing an official's uniform.

O K

.......and looks like anyone can walk off the street and work the game ........

Actually, pretty much anyone can walk off the street and call the game. Look at, well, yourself, for example. If you feel that you need to be dressed a certain way to make a certain impression, I suggest you continue to do so. I am glad not to be in an area with such restrictions, whether real or imagined.

[26 Year Gap]

Common sense would have you not be dressed in your uniform prior to arrival. Many end up eating or drinking on the way to the game and spilling food on your uniform would not be a good way to show up at game sites. And with all of the crazies out there, being dressed in your uniform on the way out to your car is not a good idea. The only exception I can think of is if your day job is at Foot Locker and you go straight from work to the game site.

Guys who show up dressed for the game are generally viewed as guys who will spend as little time as possible there and grab their checks and go. That seems to be the common view and there must be a reason for it.

That said, showing up to do a bunch of AAU games usually has a different protocol.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by 26 Year Gap

That said, showing up to do a bunch of AAU games usually has a different protocol.

So, apparently, does working in different regions.

I see this like belted pants. 90% of the areas, it's a no-no. In some areas, it's the norm. If it's the norm, do it. If it's against the norm, don't do it if you want to move up.

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

So, apparently, does working in different regions.

I see this like belted pants. 90% of the areas, it's a no-no. In some areas, it's the norm. If it's the norm, do it. If it's against the norm, don't do it if you want to move up.

That's what I will need to deal with NEXT season. Here, about half the officials have beltless. I prefer belted to avoid Welmering up my game. Guess I will give the flex belt another go to see how that works.

Sorta like Smittys vs Lanyards.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by 26 Year Gap

That's what I will need to deal with NEXT season. Here, about half the officials have beltless. I prefer belted to avoid Welmering up my game. Guess I will give the flex belt another go to see how that works.

Sorta like Smittys vs Lanyards.

Last season, 95% of the officials in my area wore belted. I preferred the belted because they were cheaper. I could get a pair at Walmart for <$15. Now, I'm in an area where it's a career inhibitor, so I spent the $120 for 2 pair. Next year, I'll buy another plus a new shirt.

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by 26 Year Gap

Common sense would have you not be dressed in your uniform prior to arrival. Many end up eating or drinking on the way to the game and spilling food on your uniform would not be a good way to show up at game sites.

Are you kidding? This is your worry? You might spill food in your bag, or worse yet, drop your bag in a mud puddle. This will never happen to me.

And with all of the crazies out there, being dressed in your uniform on the way out to your car is not a good idea.

Changing out of your uniform will not protect you from the crazies.

Guys who show up dressed for the game are generally viewed as guys who will spend as little time as possible there and grab their checks and go. That seems to be the common view and there must be a reason for it.

The common view shared by whom and what is the reason for it?

If an official prefers to dress at home rather than drive somewhere and then have to change upon arrival, (and sometimes the rival is damned uncooperative........sorry, just made that up) especially if there is doubt about the quality/privacy of the facilities, why would anybody take a negative view of this and automatically associate other negative qualities with it?

[BillyMac]

Calm down guys. Read my post, #43, in this thread. Different states, boards, and associations, may have different customs. It doesn't make them wrong, just different. Our local IAABO board recently merged with a much smaller, non-IAABO board, and we noticed right away that we had different customs. Since they were the smaller board, and merged into our board, we had a few meetings in which our customs were explained to these officials. These customs included officials watching the other end of the varsity/junior varsity doubleheader, rating all officials that you've observed, attending meetings, and clinics, confirming games with schools, waiting in the parking lot for your partner's car to start, and, as we've been discussing, proper dress for games.

[CaRef5]

Different strokes for different folks.... because out here (Nor Cal) [more specifically the bay area] no officials come wearing "street/casual attire" everyone just comes ready to officiate 30-60 min prior to game time. Unless your working a state championship playoff game or a major contest.

Call me young, call me inexperienced, but like someone said in here "if in Rome do as the Romans do"

[Rich]

Originally Posted by just another ref

Actually, pretty much anyone can walk off the street and call the game. Look at, well, yourself, for example. If you feel that you need to be dressed a certain way to make a certain impression, I suggest you continue to do so. I am glad not to be in an area with such restrictions, whether real or imagined.

I watch about a quarter from the stands. How would I do that wearing an officiating uniform without looking like a complete goober?

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I watch about a quarter from the stands. How would I do that wearing an officiating uniform without looking like a complete goober?

I can see where that could conceivably be an issue in some places. But, around here we often sit and watch entire games in uniform. It never struck me as a problem.

[zm1283]

The only games we go to already dressed are JH games in one particular city which start at 3 p.m. right after school. No other schools do this around here. Our association has enough trouble finding enough people to cover these games, so they couldn't care less if you show up dressed or not to them.

As far as what we wear to the games, our association just says to look presentable. No cut off t-shirts, sandals, etc. Jeans and decent tennis shoes are perfectly acceptable here.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by just another ref

It looks stupid to show up to officiate wearing an official's uniform.

O K





Actually, pretty much anyone can walk off the street and call the game. Look at, well, yourself, for example. If you feel that you need to be dressed a certain way to make a certain impression, I suggest you continue to do so. I am glad not to be in an area with such restrictions, whether real or imagined.

Based on what I have read here, it is much more than “my” area. It appears that professionalism is expected in a lot of areas.

If you worked more than JV schedule, you might see that the same things are required where you live too. I work college too (and officials come from multiple states and multiple jurisdictions) and it is expected throughout the places I have been or have never been to wear cloths that shows you are professional. And a big part of that professionalism is what you display before and after the game, in what you wear and how you behave. You are not just doing a game; you are doing an event where many people have a personal interest in the outcome. Just like people squabble over working games close to home, people expect similar things as to how you present yourself in and around that contest.

If I go to a job interview (of any kind), I might be qualified for the job, but I am not going to show up in jeans and a T-shirt. I do not know about you, but I do not see many people going for jobs in jeans and a T-shirt or their uniform of another job. Even when the job involves hands-on element to it, the smart people wear a suit which is not what I or many people expect from an official.

Not only was that the way I was raised, it is the professions I have been involved in and out of officiating.

I often tell people it is not always what you do on the court that gets you games, it is often the things you do not do that play a bigger role.

Peace

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Based on what I have read here, it is much more than “my” area. It appears that professionalism is expected in a lot of areas.

If you worked more than JV schedule, you might see that the same things are required where you live too.

Professionalism has many different facets. I find it unprofessional for a member of the profession to label the customs of others as "stupid" on a public forum. It is even worse, I think, to punctuate the continued criticism with a derogatory comment about ones schedule, when you know absolutely nothing about that schedule.