Help/Ideas on Becoming a College Official?

[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.

[fiasco]

Originally Posted by bradfordwilkins

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.

Trying to "accelerate the process" is probably the number 1 thing that will prevent you from getting there.

[eyezen]

Originally Posted by 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.

Caution: If you try accelerate too quickly you will hit a wall and will never recover.

(Please take figuratively and not literally)

[tjones1]

Originally Posted by eyezen

Caution: If you try accelerate too quickly you will hit a wall and will never recover.

(Please take figuratively and not literally)

In other words, it's better to be two years late than one year early!

[tballump]

Number 1---Get ready to hear the phrase over and over again on this board and behind your back that your father is the one and only thing that got you into D1 basketball if you make it. The posts are going to use that word nepotism again & again even if you are the greatest thing since sliced bread or the second coming of Hank Nichols.

I am surprised that you even need to ask this question if your father was a D1 coach. Both him and you need to get that rolodex out and make contacts, and don't let any D1 official who had some contacts tell you he didn't use them. You will have to go to an officiating camp somewhere and have a supervisor see you or an experienced official at the camp who has the surpervisor's ear recommend you and your dad. Your dad should probably know Don Rutledge in the Florida Area even though he is retired, I'm sure a recommendation from him would go a long way. You may get put on what they call a high potential list (this turned out to be a crappy designation years ago just to string some guys along) and start with Small College first before moving to D1.

You should have gone to the Maryland coach long ago to see if you could work any scrimmages for them or if he could help you with contacts in the ACC. Although you are a little young; John Clougherty started that way years ago when he had a job at Wake Forest doing finance or something after graduating from college I believe. He was young. He was working HS varsity and worked Wake Forest scrimmages during practices for Carl Tacy who had just come from Ferrum Junior college in Virginia.

He started working in the D2 Carolina's Conference just before the camp concept came about and from there went to ACC camp for Norvelle Neve and then worked on the ACC JV staff back when schools freshmen had to sit out a year and then he got onto the ACC full time staff by the age of 30 I believe, maybe earlier, and never looked back. Lenny Wertz and Lou Moser were only 25 when they made the Big Ten Staff back in the day and were also on the ACC staff.

Clougherty is now the supervisor in the ACC and you should have your Dad call him directly or any D1 supervisor in the New York area or Big East to see about the steps needed for both you and your father to possibly become ACC officials or another conferences D1 officials. There will be no guarantees of course, but with your dad being in the fraternity of D1 colleges coaches I do not see how this could possibly do anything but help if you are a very good official. However, if you are not very good at officiating, they cannot afford to stick their neck out or put their reputation on the line if you cannot ref a lick. Then again, if you are in a group of highly rated officials that are probably going to make D1 no matter what, your connections can probably speed this process up a little bit while the other guys may have to wait another year or two.

There was something on the internet about official Steve Wellmer getting injured. He is 57 and has been working D1 for 27 years. He has been an official for 34 years, so he was just about your age when he started. He probably worked D2 and D3 before working his first D1 game at 30.

Get going and don't look back. Heck, even the NBA might discover you as I hear they have scouts at the college games looking for potential NBA refs.

[tomegun]

While contacts are necessary, you aren't going to make a call and get into the ACC. Before some things changed with camps, the ACC held an invitational camp in Indianapolis. The camp was not for new officials. Many of the officials you see doing ACC games on TV were evaluators in addition to Zack Zarba and Joe Forte. The ACC uses the Colonial as a "minor league" D1 conference.

For now, I would try to start with high school and then JC. I know some may frown on this, but New York also has a good Pro-Am league. You have a ton of ball in your area so get out and work.