You aren't allowed here......

[Rita C]

One of the schools has the locker room for the officials in a coaches office. Access is through the boys locker room. Game is at 5:45, I arrive at 4:45. Wrestling practice is done at 5:15. This is all in the fieldhouse, a separate building from the gymnasium but attached by a hallway. Wrestlers are gone by halftime.

Needless to say this has been a problem through the years for the female officials. I, personally, have been put in various other offices over the years. (At least four.)

Earlier this season I forgot about the wrestlers because there was no one in the fieldhouse when I arrived. I went straight back to the room and got ready. By the time we were done with pregame, the wrestlers were in the locker room taking showers. My partners made sure they were decent and I went through with my hands as blinders. (The boys loved it. "HEY MISS RITA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE!)

The next time I arrived at the school, the site administrator told me the coaches said I had to move to another office. They put me and the other female ref in an office just off the main floor of the main gym. We had to send messengers in to let our partners know that we were there and waiting. And then we wait and wait until the men finally emerge. (My partners came out so late that there were only 8 minutes on the clock when we got on the floor. No pregame.)

The next time I came was a Saturday. No wrestlers. I started to go back to the usual area. One of the basketball coaches came in. In a most ungracious manner, he informed the site manager that I was not to go back there. I was to go to the other office. The site administrator protested, "But there's no wrestlers today!" The coach continued, "Doesn't matter. This is for boys only!"

So this time, I asked the site administrator to let my one male partner know where we were and let him find us, rather than wait outside the locker room door.

One night the varsity officials used "our" room for halftime. They liked being able to watch the clock through the door rather than rely on the site administrator to come let them know when it was almost time to be back on the floor.

I suggested to the school athletic director that this could be an option offered to the officials. That the varsity officials might like to use that room and be able to watch the clock themselves. Her response was, "We want them in the other building so that we don't have to worry about the fans getting to them."

Hello? I guess this doesn't matter if you are a female official? Huh?

Am I out of line in thinking that they should try to find a joint room for all of us? I really feel that these darn female officials are such a pain in the neck for them, that we are an anomaly they will deal with on a case by case basis.

Just venting. And yes, I have been communicating the issue with my assignor.

Rita

[CMHCoachNRef]

Originally Posted by Rita C

One of the schools has the locker room for the officials in a coaches office. Access is through the boys locker room. Game is at 5:45, I arrive at 4:45. Wrestling practice is done at 5:15. This is all in the fieldhouse, a separate building from the gymnasium but attached by a hallway. Wrestlers are gone by halftime.

Needless to say this has been a problem through the years for the female officials. I, personally, have been put in various other offices over the years. (At least four.)

Earlier this season I forgot about the wrestlers because there was no one in the fieldhouse when I arrived. I went straight back to the room and got ready. By the time we were done with pregame, the wrestlers were in the locker room taking showers. My partners made sure they were decent and I went through with my hands as blinders. (The boys loved it. "HEY MISS RITA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE!)

The next time I arrived at the school, the site administrator told me the coaches said I had to move to another office. They put me and the other female ref in an office just off the main floor of the main gym. We had to send messengers in to let our partners know that we were there and waiting. And then we wait and wait until the men finally emerge. (My partners came out so late that there were only 8 minutes on the clock when we got on the floor. No pregame.)

The next time I came was a Saturday. No wrestlers. I started to go back to the usual area. One of the basketball coaches came in. In a most ungracious manner, he informed the site manager that I was not to go back there. I was to go to the other office. The site administrator protested, "But there's no wrestlers today!" The coach continued, "Doesn't matter. This is for boys only!"

So this time, I asked the site administrator to let my one male partner know where we were and let him find us, rather than wait outside the locker room door.

One night the varsity officials used "our" room for halftime. They liked being able to watch the clock through the door rather than rely on the site administrator to come let them know when it was almost time to be back on the floor.

I suggested to the school athletic director that this could be an option offered to the officials. That the varsity officials might like to use that room and be able to watch the clock themselves. Her response was, "We want them in the other building so that we don't have to worry about the fans getting to them."

Hello? I guess this doesn't matter if you are a female official? Huh?

Am I out of line in thinking that they should try to find a joint room for all of us? I really feel that these darn female officials are such a pain in the neck for them, that we are an anomaly they will deal with on a case by case basis.

Just venting. And yes, I have been communicating the issue with my assignor.

Rita

Rita,
Unfortunately, officials in general, are an afterthought at many schools. Add a multigender officiating crew and in many cases, we have a disjointed solution. We did a boys game last week and they put us in the girls' locker room -- there a lawsuit waiting to happen. When we were escorted into the locker room there were actually some girls in the locker room. When we left, we had to proceed cautiously.

There are several options here, but, quite frankly none of them is the ideal solution:
1. Deal with things the way they are,
2. Get your partners to insist that the officiating crew be put together for pre-game and post-game,
3. If this is an anomaly, request that the assignor keeps you away from this venue.

As I said, no great answers.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by Rita C

Am I out of line in thinking that they should try to find a joint room for all of us?

I really feel that these darn female officials are such a pain in the neck for them, that we are an anomaly they will deal with on a case by case basis.

No, you're not out of line, I just think it doesn't come up that often and you're right, it is an afterthought. Shame.

I've had two female partners over the yrs. I can't recall experiencing any logisitcal problems.....probably just the luck of the draw though.

We did have a situation a few weeks ago where we had a female member on the 3-whistle crew and had to share one office. Luckily, the office had a bathroom, so female partner went in there to change while the men used the office and then announced to our partner we were decent. We had no arguements about this set-up, as it was a small school and they were limited on space, even so bad to the point the locker rooms for the teams were down the hall and around the corner from the gym, and just around the corner from our room.

Another situation I had was in a big high school which has a smaller gym on an upper floor away from the main gym. I was escorted to a classroom, where the female teacher was still working on grading, and I had no expectation of privacy for changing, so I went to a bathroom down the hallway to change. My partner arrived just as I was returning to the classroom, and I told him he might want to change in the bathroom. He saw why I said that, but got to be an a** about it and went into a corner she couldn't see and changed anyway (he had his undergarments on). Gutsy. I relayed my concerns about this to the site administrator, and her response was, you should have come prepared knowing you would be in a classroom to change. I wanted to respond that I had never changed in that classroom before, it was always the boys' coaches' locker room off the main gym, but bit my tongue and emailed the AD. The AD didn't apologize, only repeating the same thing the site administrator said. That email got forwarded to the assigner as soon as it popped up on my email.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by Ref Ump Welsch

you should have come prepared knowing you would be in a classroom to change. I wanted to respond that I had never changed in that classroom before, it was always the boys' coaches' locker room off the main gym, but bit my tongue and emailed the AD. The AD didn't apologize, only repeating the same thing the site administrator said. That email got forwarded to the assigner as soon as it popped up on my email.

I had a first Friday night. VG/VB games at small religious school - 2 man. We changed in the day-care/pre-school section (w/ bathroom). They had a hand drawn sign on the hallway wall identifying it for "Referees."

Funny part was my partner and I sitting in those little chairs to pre-game and in rocking chairs between games looking up situations and reviewing rules.

[dacodee]

Originally Posted by CMHCoachNRef

Rita,
We did a boys game last week and they put us in the girls' locker room -- there a lawsuit waiting to happen. When we were escorted into the locker room there were actually some girls in the locker room. When we left, we had to proceed cautiously.

Two weeks ago, I had a Boys Fr/JV doubleheader. I arrive and there's a wrestling match going on in the main gym. So, the Frosh game is played in the auxillary gym. No problem with that, except that they put me in the Girls locker room. The site manager, walks me to the locker room, opens the door and lets me in. I begin to walk in and there are two girls sitting around the corner. I "quickly" back out and let the site manager know that there are girls in there. He gets them to leave and says that he'll lock the door. No problem, right??? Well, after both games, my partner and I shower and are changing. My partner is putting on his underwear and "BAM", the door swings open with the same two girls running in. They see my partner's butt cheeks and make an about face. My partner didn't seem to mind, but I couldn't help but think, this is a lawsuit waiting to happen.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by Ref Ump Welsch

We did have a situation a few weeks ago where we had a female member on the 3-whistle crew and had to share one office. Luckily, the office had a bathroom, so female partner went in there to change while the men used the office and then announced to our partner we were decent. We had no arguements about this set-up, as it was a small school and they were limited on space, even so bad to the point the locker rooms for the teams were down the hall and around the corner from the gym, and just around the corner from our room.

Another situation I had was in a big high school which has a smaller gym on an upper floor away from the main gym. I was escorted to a classroom, where the female teacher was still working on grading, and I had no expectation of privacy for changing, so I went to a bathroom down the hallway to change. My partner arrived just as I was returning to the classroom, and I told him he might want to change in the bathroom. He saw why I said that, but got to be an a** about it and went into a corner she couldn't see and changed anyway (he had his undergarments on). Gutsy. I relayed my concerns about this to the site administrator, and her response was, you should have come prepared knowing you would be in a classroom to change. I wanted to respond that I had never changed in that classroom before, it was always the boys' coaches' locker room off the main gym, but bit my tongue and emailed the AD. The AD didn't apologize, only repeating the same thing the site administrator said. That email got forwarded to the assigner as soon as it popped up on my email.

Ridiculous.

Good job. Will your assignor handle it, or what about your local President, or even the school board. For an administrator or AD to insist that expected changing facilities is a classroom is pathetic.

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

Ridiculous.

Good job. Will your assignor handle it, or what about your local President, or even the school board. For an administrator or AD to insist that expected changing facilities is a classroom is pathetic.

Ridiculous, yes. I wasn't going to answer her, perhaps because I was the only white guy standing there while talking with her in the hallway. Didn't need a few African-American svelte ladies going off on me.

We've always had to pass concerns along to the sub-varsity assignor first (if it's sub-varsity related), then he will pass it along to the association president (who happens to be the varsitiy assignor as well) to share at the AD meeting. Whether he publically states the issue in general terms, or pulls aside the specific AD, I have no idea, though, but sometimes it has to happen several times to other officials before it really becomes an issue worth the ADs' attention.

[eemich10]

This has been a problem for me as well. I make sure I'm there WAY ahead of time so I can change before my partner if need be. Most schools are very accomadating, but I've changed in bathroom stalls (with spectators!), closets, a laundry room at a tech school, and a home-economics classroom with open shades that did not close. I was once even treated as an inconvenience, with the assistant coach asking why they assigned a female ref to a boys game (reported him to assignor!)

My feeling is if there is and office with an inner bathroom, thats fine for opposite sex partners to change.

[just another ref]

......or you could just go to the game dressed to officiate.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by just another ref

......or you could just go to the game dressed to officiate.

That's funny.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by just another ref

......or you could just go to the game dressed to officiate.

If I knew that there was going to be a problem dressing before a game, I would agree with this 100%. We have a school in our geographic area that is undergoing renovations. We've been informed that the only place for officials to change is in a small bathroom. Our local assigner, as well as the president of our local board, has suggested that we come to the game in uniform.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

I have been reading this thread with great interest. I have officiated boys'/girls' Jr. H.S. and H.S. basketball in Ohio, Michigan, California (H.S. only), and Florida (H.S. only). The only problem I ever had was in the Miami-Dade County, Florida, during the mid-1970's.

The AD's in Dade County expected you to come to the games dressed; and the schools did not even provide a place for the officials who came to the game already dressed to have a pre-game conference. Furthermore, they expected you to sit in the stands at half-time. I didn't know this when I arrived at my first ever H.S. game in Florida; the Home AD let me know that he was not happy that he had to find a secure place for me to dress and keep my belongings. He told me that if I was scheduled again at his school, I had better be dressed to go (me: ROFLMAO, ). I never once went to a game already dressed to officiate. I really made a number of AD's mad, but I have talked to officials from that area of Florida now and guess what? Nobody goes to games already dressed to officiate.

There is absolutely no reason for a school not to provide a secure place for an officials' dressing room. There is no way I would dress in rest room. Of course we do not have that problem in Ohio and Michigan, except for Rita's particular problem.

MTD, Sr.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

There is absolutely no reason for a school to provide a secure place for an officials' dressing room. There is no way I would dress in rest room. Of course we do not have that problem in Ohio and Michigan, except for Rita's particular problem.

MTD, Sr.

I would not either.

Peace

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

There is absolutely no reason for a school to provide a secure place for an officials' dressing room.

It was funnier when you left out the "not".