Newbie / Wannabe Mini-Rant on Freshman/JV Refs

[KJUmp]

Originally Posted by dsqrddgd909

Disclaimer - Not yet a ref.

I have seen approximately 15 games this HS season at the boys Freshman and girls JV level, Small school Div., Midwest state. I have been a scorer for approximately 10 of those games, roughly 25 different refs total.

I was surprised to frequently see (at least 75% of the games):
1. Poor Mechanics while reporting fouls - far from reporting area, no hand signals, hard to hear.
2. Poor switching (I thought it's supposed to be every foul - many games this has just been ignored)
3. Poor Hustle - play far in front of both leads and Trails

4. Refs shooting baskets at half time (only saw 1 x)

On the commendable side of the ledger, I did see good knowledge of the rules (well at least as far as this newbie knows them) and good consistency between officials and during the game.

Am I being too hard on my future referee brethren and sistren? (I think I just made up a word).

dsqrddgd:
I'm a 1st yr.guy and registered with my local HS board as an applicant. I've worked approx. 15 B&GJV games this year between 2 high schools where the AD fills the assignments. To address your comments on your season long observation of JV/Frosh officials from your perch at the table:
1)MECHANICS: I'm sure that in my very first JV game the season (which was my first ever) my mechanics and foul reporting were far from perfect on any number of levels.
2)SWITCHING: When the AD fills the assignment, you have no control over who your P is. You very rarely get a Board ref as P (as they're working V&college), nor have I yet had the opportunity to work w/another new official who might be on the same track as me (trying to make the board) where we would both be working hard on coverage, communication, and mechanics...including switching in the manner that our Board perscribes. Most of the time I'm working with a guy that you couldn't get to switch if you paid him out of your own pocket.
3)HUSTLE:.I agree with you here...there is never a reason not to hustle when you officiate ANY sport. You do not need to be experienced to hustle. It was certainly the ONLY thing I was sure I knew how to do when I started out to becomea ref this season. But I learned quickly that you have to hustle using your head to get to the right spot at the right time at the right angle to make the proper call.
4)SHOOTING THE BALL: Well anyone that would actually think of doing that clearly doesn't have a clue.
My point here is that you can sit there and jump to a conclusion that I'm some guy they just threw a stripe shirt on who's out there for a quick buck.You have no way of knowing if I'm new, inexperienced, prone to making "rookie errors"...but trying real hard EVERY game to get just a little bit better in every aspect of the game. Spending time after my game with the V refs seeking out constructive critiques and tips...and then finding a spot in the stands to watch them work and try to learn by observing.
Don't paint us JV/Frosh guys with the same brush...and one other thing, if you're aspiring to be an official as you said in the OP...be careful about taking shots at a brother or sister official. Not a good way to start out IMHO.