I think grunewar is having a similar experience to what mine has been.

Although it sometimes seems as if I just started, I am now one of the more senior officials in our group (14 years). I moved up steadily in the rankings from when I first started and have been fortunate enough to be in that "top group" for a while now.

On my way up, I encountered all kinds of higher-ranked officials. A few in the top who made sure I knew just how great they were and seemed intent on keeping others down. :rolleyes: A few in the top who were great mentors and did what they could to help me along without any concern of whether or not I might someday be a direct peer. :) A few in the top who just did their own thing without getting involved with others at all. A few in the top who did whatever they thought made them look better in the eyes of others. :rolleyes: They all serve a purpose.... you can see what works and what doesn't. :D

When I look at the handful of guys who started in the early 90's with me, I see some who have consistently worked hard and been consumate professionals. They have attended at least a few camps and use the off-season to improve rather than to develop bad habits (or do nothing). While there is some variance in "natural talent," most of those guys who work at it have climbed steadily.

Some of the others who started back then don't take it real serious and aren't too concerned about ratings. They work their games and don't complain about not getting a "top" schedule. Our assignor loves those guys - he says they "chew up innings."

Then there are a few who lace em' up in November and put em' away in March and can't figure out why the politics of our association holds them back. :rolleyes:

I hope I am a good mentor now. If I see an official who is working hard and asking lots of questions, I will bend over backwards for them. One young official called me after last season and asked if he could work summer games with me. I had our assignor put him on my crew several times for summer leagues and tournaments and he worked with some other vets as well. He pestered me for info every game and added many tools to his game. His improvement was amazing. I am sure that he is on his way to becoming a top-rated official for us. Heck, he might pass me by in a few years and I am OK with that. I think being a top official is a privilege AND a responsibility. The responsibility is to make sure there are competent officials to take my place when I walk off the floor for the last time (many, many years away I hope).

If I see an official and I offer them some advice, I watch their reaction. If they want the info, I will continue to help them when I see them down the road. If they resist or make excuses, I won't waste my time with them anymore.

Most things are/become political when there is a selection process. I guess the old, "work hard, head down" pays off in some of these situations.

I am fortunate that a conference commish saw me work a JV game and asked me to take the class 1 test this year to get on his varsity roster. He had some comments on some of my mechanics and I explained I was still shaking the rust after being out for three years. He was still impressed enough to get me to the next level.

He's somebody I will stay in contact with and be on the good side with. No matter his reputation, as long as I work hard and he rewards me...thus goes the politics of officiating.

Edit:

He also told me he's trying to flush out some of the "veterans" who, in his opinion, aren't as sharp and seem to become lax on mechanics and working hard. So there are some commissioners/assigners who are actively keep things fresh. Whether some of its politics, I have no idea.

Also, does anyone get paid to observe refs? I think that might help. Maybe even $5-10. In the scrimmages working with extra refs I got some feedback and gave some of my own. Or does your associations require at least one observation? I talked about this with a 2nd year guy and he also said the same as me that he was getting very little feedback as well. I'm thinking of videotaping some of my games.

Soapbox Time ...
 

When I was on my way up, I, and almost all of my fellow subvarsity colleagues, would stick around to watch the varsity game, and even observe the halftime, and post game, locker room discussion.

Today, many, but not all, subvarsity officials, work their game, take off their shoes, don't even bother to change, or shower, and give us a wave as they make a beeline out the gymnasium door.

My simple advice to subvarsity officials: Stay and watch the varsity game. You learn best by observing experienced officials working tough, competitive games. The adult beverages will still be cold later that evening.

Amen.............see it all the time.

Actually, that's about the size of the association in Las Vegas. The whole state is closer to 500, but this small difference doesn't change the point which you are making.

PS Those numbers are only for basketball. There are obviously many more officials in the state for other sports.

I have lived in the Chicago are for 10 years soon to be 11 years. I started officiating in West Central Illinois. I can say that my experience in the Chicago area has been much fairer and much less political. For one there are more games and opportunities in the Chicago area and if you do the right things you will get noticed. In other parts of the state, if you do not know the right people or liked by the right people, you will never get a shot. I also get a little tired of the politics talks that we have.

There is politics in everything. If you work in the Post Office there are people that have to play some politics to get certain jobs just like you would in any profession. Officiating is no different than any subjective, competitive adventure. Anytime you have people that are competing for spots, you will have jealousy and backbiting from time to time. I just try to treat others like I want to be treated and move on. You cannot handle how everyone treats you and whether people like you. There are people that will not like you as I learned early in my career because you get an opportunity they did not get. And you might get those opportunities just because you work harder than those not willing to work hard at all. Or you look the part and do all the right things mechanically and even rules application wise and you get a shot that some guy that never attends a camp will never get as well.

I am not sure what this has to do with the pecking order, but I think we are our best friends or worst enemies as officials.

Peace

Rut, you have mentioned repeatedly that how things are depend on where you live. If I'm reading your comment right, you are saying you are tired of hearing about politics on this site. If that is the case, you should just ignore it because sometimes people have to vent. I have been in highly political associations and associations that simply put the best officials on the floor. I understand where both sides are coming from and I don't think there is anything wrong with the discussion.

I think that the tide is changing in Central Ohio. 25 - 30 years ago, the varsity officials would actually select their JV referees. These referees obviously looked out for their own and put in good words for their JV officials.

Then, we had a rather lengthy period of time in which the FR/JV officials were completely disconnected with the varsity crews. Other than a brief meet-n-greet at halftime of the JV game (when the varsity officials would come into the JV locker room and introduce themselves to the JV guys), there was very little interaction.

Beginning with the 2008-09 basketball season, the largest suburban conference in Central Ohio decided to make some rather dramatic changes. First of all, they appointed a new League Commissioner. They then appointed new assignors in most sports. The new basketball assignor (who had been an assignor in a couple other conferences in the past) worked with the largest referee association (about 300 members), the commissioner and the ADs to create a mentoring program.

It is still very much a work-in-progress, but varsity crews are now paired with FR/JV crews for all league games. On the boys side, all FR//JV crews are 3-man crews to give the newer officials experience in 3-man mechanics prior to moving up to the varsity level. At least one, and in many cases two or three of the varsity offiicials will watch part of the FR game and ALL of the JV game. Lots of interaction at halftime from a mentoring standpoint. Frequently, the FR/JV officials stay to watch at least half of the varsity game (and come in for the varsity halftime discussion).

Other conferences have taken notice, as has the OHSAA (the program is now being run with OHSAA's blessing and support). The system is not perfect, but we are now working on developing a "cradle to grave" system for officials that will involve more relevant training, more extensive use of videos, more online training, etc. to make the progression a clearer path for all.

It's rare that FR/JV guys want feedback here. Many have no aspiration to move up (especially in the rural towns where they are hired because they are (1) licensed and (2) local).

So when I worked a varsity game after another varsity game on Wednesday and the crew (3-person) stayed to watch our game (which, for some reason, was worked 2-person), I was more than open to some feedback.

Matter of fact, I was just out of the shower when one of the officials walked in and said, "Ready for your critique?" to which I said, "Sure, anything you have." He was just kidding, apparently. I wasn't.

I'm going to go to 2-3 camps this summer and see if I'm good enough to be noticed by a college assignor or two. If not, I'll hopefully learn something I can take back to the high school court next year. I also was a clinician at my first clinic this year and learned as much as when I was a camper and felt I made a difference in other people's work. It's been a pretty good year.

Tommy,

My point is that we all deal with it on some level. I am not totally convinced that everyone is hindered in their career by politics. I think a lot of people do not do the things they are supposed to do and when they do not get opportunities they say it is "politics" when actually it is them being lazy or not doing the right things. I live in a highly political area too. But we have people here that think they deserve to work varsity games just because one guy gives them games in some other conference. Well, the reality is that you are almost never going to work for someone if they have never seen you work. That means you probably have to go to someone's camp to get hired. That might mean you have to go to multiple camps. Take time out of your busy schedule. But if you think some assignor is just going to fire someone else that is reliable and has the respect of his conference for some guy that works in a conference that no one respects, you are crazy. Because in my area when guys say this, I start asking questions of what they do and it becomes obvious for a lot of reasons why they are not getting hired in certain places. And most of those things are self inflicted. I am sure that varies from one area to another. But I think it is often blown out of proportion. I could be wrong, but it sounds like a crutch for many people.

Peace

The tread has meandered somewhat as the point originally was related to the acceptance of lower level HS officials by Varsity guys and the views of officials either now or when they were moving up.

I do agree Jeff, that I see officials complain about their schedule or the politics and yet, make no effort to improve themselves either by attending camps or being active in their associations. It can be frustrating though, if you put the time and effort into it and you are good not to get the schedule you want.

It is what it is and I don't ever see the system changing.

Maybe these two statements were tied together.:eek:

Eww. Must scrub brain. Eww.

Now you are saying something different and something I agree with. IMO, many people want to talk their way into a big game, better assignments, etc. People have been coming up to me this season complaining about their ranking and wanting to go before the board. My suggestion is to prove it on the court and stop talking about it. If you remember, I've talked about having a camp for people from this board and there is always an open invitation for forum members to officiate in some of the tournaments in Vegas.

There have been several times in our meetings this year when someone has made a remark and I turn to someone I know and ask, "Can he work?" Most of the time the answer is no. I think we have a problem, in high school officiating, with people wanting things simply because they have been warming the chair for X amount of years. If you want more, the first step is to become a better official. Politics will still exist once that is taken care of and there really isn't an answer at that point.