For the love of the game?

[slow whistle]

Originally Posted by LDUB

Ask him why anyone who "loved the game" would waste their time being around crappy 4th grade games if they weren't being paid? There are a lot better of games to be around or to be watched on TV. Also find out where he ever got the idea that the officials are there for the "love of the game".

Come on LDUB, to do a high school varsity game around here means I leave work at 5PM and get home usually around 10:30. For my 5.5 hr committment I am paid $55 which is $10/hr BEFORE I deduct mileage, uniform, association dues, camps, etc, etc....if someone told me that they would hire me to do pretty much anything else considered work for that arrangement I'd say no thanks....while the money is nice and I wouldn't do as many games as I do if they were all freebies, I think all of us do this at least in part for the love of the game...

[LDUB]

Originally Posted by slow whistle

Come on LDUB, to do a high school varsity game around here means I leave work at 5PM and get home usually around 10:30. For my 5.5 hr committment I am paid $55 which is $10/hr BEFORE I deduct mileage, uniform, association dues, camps, etc, etc....if someone told me that they would hire me to do pretty much anything else considered work for that arrangement I'd say no thanks....while the money is nice and I wouldn't do as many games as I do if they were all freebies, I think all of us do this at least in part for the love of the game...

So you worked from 9-5, then went and worked a side job and made $10/hr while exercising. Sounds better than working 9-5 then working at Wal Mart for 4 hours making $8/hr, then going to the gym, which has fees, for an hour. For someone who wants to make money and exercise sports officiating seems like a better option.

Originally Posted by slow whistle

I think all of us do this at least in part for the love of the game.

There are guys who officiated some sport and then started officiating volleyball. Some of those guys had more or less never known anything about volleyball. Do you think they decided to officiate volleyball because they loved the game?

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by LDUB

There are guys who officiated some sport and then started officiating volleyball. Some of those guys had more or less never known anything about volleyball. Do you think they decided to officiate volleyball because they loved the game?

It's funny how volleyball takes the punches for being the avenue to make "easy money".

[slow whistle]

Originally Posted by LDUB

So you worked from 9-5, then went and worked a side job and made $10/hr while exercising. Sounds better than working 9-5 then working at Wal Mart for 4 hours making $8/hr, then going to the gym, which has fees, for an hour. For someone who wants to make money and exercise sports officiating seems like a better option.



There are guys who officiated some sport and then started officiating volleyball. Some of those guys had more or less never known anything about volleyball. Do you think they decided to officiate volleyball because they loved the game?

Perhaps I should have been a little more clear...my point was that I would not take a side job for $10/hr (which is not what I make when you deduct everything, it is probably closer to $8) even if it allowed me to exercise! $8/hr with exercise is not worth the time spent away from my family, the grief we deal with, etc, etc, if I didn't love the game....

Your point about volleyball for instance is valid, but more than the particular sport, I think it is the level that makes the difference - for instance I know guys who work 3-4 lower level (5-8th grade) games in the time it takes me to work one hs varsity game and they can walk out the door with more than 2X the money (and nowhere near the grief) that I do for the same time committment...maybe they don't love the game I don't know...but if you do this at a relatively high level you must love the game, b/c the money on its own isn't worth it and you can make more doing other things..

[rsl]

I work a lot of free games. When I do, I usually have an untrained partner and low quality basketball. When I charge $55 for a game, I get a great partner and high quality players. If you love the game, which would you pick?

[slow whistle]

Originally Posted by rsl

I work a lot of free games. When I do, I usually have an untrained partner and low quality basketball. When I charge $55 for a game, I get a great partner and high quality players. If you love the game, which would you pick?

Would do both...one for the satisfaction of helping someone who is starting out (as others have done for me) and one for the fact that the second game is hopefully a competitive high level game which I enjoy....the money is always secondary for me.....like I said if the money came first I would go work 100 jr high games/year and take half the crap for twice the money..I always tell people that the money is what keeps my wife off my back for being gone 30-40 nights/yr!

[rsl]

Originally Posted by slow whistle

Would do both...one for the satisfaction of helping someone who is starting out (as others have done for me) and one for the fact that the second game is hopefully a competitive high level game which I enjoy....the money is always secondary for me.....like I said if the money came first I would go work 100 jr high games/year and take half the crap for twice the money..I always tell people that the money is what keeps my wife off my back for being gone 30-40 nights/yr!

agreed

[JugglingReferee]

My monetary investment over the years:

1. camp for beginners = $250
2. two Jr provincial camps = $700
3. Phil Bova's camp at KSU = $300
4. two Sr provincial camps = $700
5. two national FIBA camps = $700
6. one provincial camp as evaluator = $150
7. Total for camps = $2,800

Conferences:

1. Approx. 7 provincial conferences @ $200 per
2. Total for conferences = $1,400

Clothing:

1. Shoes: about 6 pair x $60 = $360
2. Socks: about 20 pair x $8 = $160
3. Pants: about 10 pair x $55 = $550
4. Shirts: 7 pair x $36 =~ $280
5. Jackets: 2 x $60 = $120
6. Total for clothing = $1,500

But then there's also time spend at local meetings, etc. where we do not get paid.

Grand total spent = approx. $4,700. Which means it's probably $5,000 or more.

Then there's driving to games, etc...

How much have I been paid officiating for these years? Much more than $5,000, but counting the non-paid hours that I spend to better my abilities is often missed by many people.

I think without us, it's just recess.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by slow whistle

Perhaps I should have been a little more clear...my point was that I would not take a side job for $10/hr (which is not what I make when you deduct everything, it is probably closer to $8) even if it allowed me to exercise! $8/hr with exercise is not worth the time spent away from my family, the grief we deal with, etc, etc, if I didn't love the game....

Your point about volleyball for instance is valid, but more than the particular sport, I think it is the level that makes the difference - for instance I know guys who work 3-4 lower level (5-8th grade) games in the time it takes me to work one hs varsity game and they can walk out the door with more than 2X the money (and nowhere near the grief) that I do for the same time committment...maybe they don't love the game I don't know...but if you do this at a relatively high level you must love the game, b/c the money on its own isn't worth it and you can make more doing other things..

Forgive me, but this is BS.

I do it because it's a challenge to me. I don't really give a crap about the game other than I enjoy officiating it. I don't do it "for the kids" and certain not for the coaches.

Why is it so wrong for us to do it FOR OURSELVES?

[deecee]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Forgive me, but this is BS.

I do it because it's a challenge to me. I don't really give a crap about the game other than I enjoy officiating it. I don't do it "for the kids" and certain not for the coaches.

Why is it so wrong for us to do it FOR OURSELVES?

I completly agree -- pats on your back.

[CoachCER]

As a program director, I have encountered the attitude expressed in the OP from time to time, mostly when some complain about how much I choose to pay the officials for our 7th-8th grade rec program. ($25/game, games usually run 55 minutes as we use a running clock.)
My response has always been that I will pay what is needed to officials that will put forth a good effort, and help our league provide a positive, instructive environment.
I never have trouble locating qualified referees willing to call for us, and that is how I like it.

I use parents as volunteer clock operators, and that is enough of a train wreck some games, that I cannot imagine the ice cream pain-like sensations that would fill my brain if I had volunteer officials.