How would you handle?

A fellow official is assigning a HS summer league thru e-mail. You request a few dates & 2 weeks later he gives you 2 dates (none of which you requested). You reply by saying you cant do those dates as you’re already working elsewhere, you provide a couple names to fill in for you & say thanks for the opportunity. But you never hear back (which is the norm around here when people get an attitude).

The league starts & an official calls you to ask where you’re at as you are on the schedule tonight You tell them that you actually declined the offer a couple weeks ago & the next day you hear that the coaches may be upset with you &/or have a perception that “so & so was a no show”.

Just to sweeten the deal, the assigning official is up & coming like yourself & seems to be competing against you at all costs (camps, high level games, attends your post-season games, attends your Pro-AM games, etc) & has caused you problems with working their little summer league games over the past 3 years. You saved all the e-mails because you know who/what you're dealing with.

[Raymond]

Email and call when you turn back a game. And also email and call the partner you would have been working with.

[grunewar]

Ah politics, ain't it grand? Sux Ch1town! For one, I would avoid that summer league and not get involved. Not sure you can win there, so just avoid it. Their loss.

Other than that, be the best official you can/are and stay away from this guy. You'll develop a good reputation inspite of this person and get good games.

PS - keep the emails just in case, but I wouldn't use em unless this gets real ugly.

PSS - For what it's worth, I arrived at a gym last night 20 minutes prior to game time only to be told by the evaluator I was at the wrong gym. So, I drove across town and was 15 minutes late at the other gym. This assignor/evaluator (my prime) was mad - I told him, look I emailed you yesterday and you told me the other gym. He said he was right and I was wrong.......he called me early this morning to admit HIS mistake.

PSSS - There's another league up here that I hear about is in need of refs and I have called the assignor twice offering my services and even talked to him once. He never gets back to me.....and I'm not going begging for games as I've got plenty.

It takes all kinds....and they're all over.

My $.02

BNR - I hear what you're saying but how can I "turn back" a game that I never confirmed????

We have a process 'round here:
1. Officials request the date
2. Assignor says you have been schedule please confirm
3. We confirm & add to our calendar.

In this case I never confirmed because it was some way out dates I didn't even ask for. I dont feel this qualifies as a "turn back".

[icallfouls]

Email, texting etc is great, but you can never guarantee that the addressee has seen or even read your reply.

You can increase your level of success, at least slightly, if you use "read receipts" in your emails. The addressee usually has to see some sort of announcement on the screen that states the sender is asking for some sort of confirmation.

The problem with email is that people use it like voice mail, to screen or hide from people. There are also people that get more than 100 pieces of email every day and don't have the time to view items that appear to be of minor consequence to THEM.

If you ask me, and you sort have done so, take the 5-10 minutes and place a call. Deal with this person on a more personal level, it might even take the edge off your competition with the guy.

It has been said, "keep your friends close, and your competition closer."

icallfouls - I can dig it, what you say makes plenty of sense.

Although he may competing against me, my only competition is the reflection that stares back at me when I look in the mirror.

What are your thoughts about clearing the air with the coaches?

[icallfouls]

Originally Posted by Ch1town

icallfouls - I can dig it, what you say makes plenty of sense.

Although he may competing against me, my only competition is the reflection that stares back at me when I look in the mirror.

What are your thoughts about clearing the air with the coaches?

Very health attitude.

In regard to the coaches, in our area there are lots of ethical issues at work when contacting coaches directly. However, if that is not an issue in Denver, then be sure to let them know that you had previously contacted the assignor and had declined. Then say something along the lines of "you know I would have been there otherwise."

[Adam]

Chi1town, are these coaches in a position where they would affect your progression? If not, I'd be inclined to let it go.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Ch1town

BNR - I hear what you're saying but how can I "turn back" a game that I never confirmed????

We have a process 'round here:
1. Officials request the date
2. Assignor says you have been schedule please confirm
3. We confirm & add to our calendar.

In this case I never confirmed because it was some way out dates I didn't even ask for. I dont feel this qualifies as a "turn back".

Ch1, all it would take is one time of you following through with phone calls and the assignor would get the hint.

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Chi1town, are these coaches in a position where they would affect your progression? If not, I'd be inclined to let it go.

New school in a league that is not on my Fav 5. I understand your point