Help/Ideas on Becoming a College Official?

[bradfordwilkins]

I am writing to find out about becoming a basketball official at the COLLEGE LEVEL.

I have refereed over 250 intramural basketball games at the University of Maryland (Which used NFHS rules with adjustments for timing). I’ve had 4+ years of training in both and 2 and 3 man mechanics. I've got a great letter recommendation from the head of the officiating program in which he states “Brad is one of the best officials I’ve ever had” (I say that with humility… I know there is always more to learn and grow!)

Also interested is my father, who is 52 and a former HS patched referee (though its probably been 20 years since he’s worn stripes). He is also a former Division 1 Player and Coach. We’re interested in being partners.

Please let me know the next steps or recommendations you have to make this happen. Thank you so much.

[HawkeyeCubP]

-Work high school basketball.
-Work high school varsity basketball for a while.
-Work elite high school varsity basketball in your area for a while.
-Search this forum for a thread from last year that has a listing of the majority of collegiate officiating camps in the country. Bookmark those sites of camps in your region, and check them around April to see if they have current camp info on their pages.
-Find a current/recently retired college official in your area and ask them if they would act as your mentor, to help guide and assist you in your quest.
-Be humble.
-Be in the right place at the right time, and work every game with your A game, because sooner or later (and sometimes often) important people will see you work that can help you advance your career.
-Go to camp.
-Go to camp.
-Nod your head a lot at camp.

[tjones1]

Keep working hard, go to camp, and continue studying the rules. Go to camp!!

[JRutledge]

All you can do is contact the people you work with to see on a regular basis. Someone should know who assigns the local conferences in the area (do not talk to someone at Maryland about the ACC ).

Keep working games. I will help if you work some high school.

Most of all you most likely have to attend a camp. Nowadays you will not get hired unless you attend a camp or are seen by someone at a camp.

Peace

[dbking]

All HawkeyeCubP advice is excellent.

-Work high school basketball.
-Work high school varsity basketball for a while.
-Work elite high school varsity basketball in your area for a while.
-Search this forum for a thread from last year that has a listing of the majority of collegiate officiating camps in the country. Bookmark those sites of camps in your region, and check them around April to see if they have current camp info on their pages.
-Find a current/recently retired college official in your area and ask them if they would act as your mentor, to help guide and assist you in your quest.
-Be humble.
-Be in the right place at the right time, and work every game with your A game, because sooner or later (and sometimes often) important people will see you work that can help you advance your career.
-Go to camp.
-Go to camp.
-Nod your head a lot at camp.

Don't make the same mistake as I believe that I made. You can work on your skills now at college camps. They will help your HS games as well as your potential college games. I have become a much better HS official by going to college camps but did not start going until later in life, 40+. Now I am 20+ older than most of the campers, makes for a big uphill battle.

- Do not start at a D1 camp
- Find a NJCAA conference in your area or NAIA
- Sign up for camp now
- Listen with both ears
- Talk very little
- Take what works for you and discard what does not
- Work parallel schedules
- Find a mentor
- It will take a lot of camps to be both good and lucky at the same time.

[bradfordwilkins]

I'm in NYC now (and my father is right outside the city). We're totally prepared to start at the varsity level and work our way up.

We're also both wanting to go to a great top-notch camp or two in the Northeast or Florida. Any recommendations?

Thanks!

[Rich]

Originally Posted by bradfordwilkins

I'm in NYC now (and my father is right outside the city). We're totally prepared to start at the varsity level and work our way up.

We're also both wanting to go to a great top-notch camp or two in the Northeast or Florida. Any recommendations?

Thanks!

Start at the varsity level? It was 4 years before I worked my first varsity game. Many others here will offer up similar experiences. Who do you think works the JV and freshman games (hint, new officials). That said, some people will work some varsity quickly -- it's a function of the area you live in, your talent, and your ability to prove to the assignors that you belong.

(Do not think that intramural experience is necessarily the same as working organized basketball. It only pays more. Organized basketball, that is. Back in 1987 I worked intramurals for the minimum wage at the time ($3.35 an hour) -- then someone showed me JV/Freshmen game paid $30 and the players couldn't talk back )

[bradfordwilkins]

"Start at the varsity level? It was 4 years before I worked my first varsity game. Many others here will offer up similar experiences. Who do you think works the JV and freshman games (hint, new officials). That said, some people will work some varsity quickly -- it's a function of the area you live in, your talent, and your ability to prove to the assignors that you belong."

Understood -- just trying to figure out how to accelerate the process to get to the college level hah. My father had 10+ years doing varsity ball so his learning curve is probably a little less steep than mine.