Coach sat on a ball the whole game.

[Rich]

I keep hearing about these weekend games, but somehow I never seem to run into one of them. So they actually exist, huh?

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I keep hearing about these weekend games, but somehow I never seem to run into one of them. So they actually exist, huh?

Just like Tinker Belle in Neverland, only if you believe in them......

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Just like Tinker Belle in Neverland, only if you believe in them......

Once or twice a summer, I go and work a "day" of baseball. Youth games, time-limited. We start about 8AM and finish at about 10PM. I'm there for one reason, the paycheck. In those games, the pay comes to about $30/hour. I take the money and sock it away for a long weekend away with the family. One day last season I worked 7 consecutive baseball games -- I did the first 4 plates.

I couldn't imagine doing this kind of thing more often. Someone has to work these games, but it's not me. More power to those of you who do, I guess.

[chartrusepengui]

Our first weekend was Jan 8-9. We also have/had them: Jan22-23, Jan 29-30, Feb 5-6, Feb 12-13, Feb 26-27, March 5-6, March19-20.

There are others but these are the ones within a 10 mile radius from my house. Games start at 8 and last game is at 7pm - 3-7 gyms.

Game fees are $25/game. In 4 of them officials can eat/drink free. The others give you a certain amoung of monopoly type money you can spend on food and beverages.

I helped pay for daughters wedding one year with the money. Another year bought the wife a new washer/dreyer. Once flew us to my sister's in Colorado for a week. It's fun money usually.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I couldn't imagine doing this kind of thing more often. Someone has to work these games, but it's not me. More power to those of you who do, I guess.

Yep.

Peace

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I'm there for one reason, the paycheck.

But what about the children????!!!

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Welpe

But what about the children????!!!

The best thing the children get is an umpire who will take absolutely no $hit all day long.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

The best thing the children get is an umpire who will take absolutely no $hit all day long.

Which is nothing but a side benefit of the check.

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by Welpe

But what about the children????!!!

Nope. Somebody else gets to take them home. It's pretty much just the paycheck, tired legs, and some sweaty laundry that the official gets to take home.

[Johnny Ringo]

Teams come from miles away because they advertised registered officials? That's a new one.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Johnny Ringo

Teams come from miles away because they advertised registered officials? That's a new one.

That's pretty much how my Catholic middle school assigner got into the assigning business. This happened over thirty years ago. He, as a veteran high school varsity basketball official, had heard about some poor officiating in Catholic middle school games in his hometown, so he observed several games at the request of some coaches. These schools took their basketball very seriously, with boys, and girls, games played at three different age levels. What they didn't take seriously, however, was the officiating. They would use nonparticipating coaches to officiate these games. Of course, this led to a lot of arguments, that was just getting out of hand, especially for a church based organization.

He sat down with some coaches and offered to get together a group of certified high school varsity, and junior varsity, veteran officials to work these games, but at a cost. The schools would have to offer a reasonable fee for these certified officials, and the schools would have to not schedule games on Tuesday nights, or Friday nights, the two busiest nights for high school basketball here in Connecticut. The coaches in his hometown agreed, and when Catholic schools in nearby towns found out about this, they also got on board.

He now assigns for fourteen Catholic schools, and has thirty-six officials that he can assign. He has negotiated, what I believe to be, very reasonable fees. The fees vary from level to level, and for various multiple game assignments, but just to give a few examples: Varsity boys/girls doubleheader (eighth graders, seven minute periods) $84.00 for both games. Junior varsity (sixth graders, six minute periods) $30.00 per game, usually assigned as three, or four games, almost always on a weekend.

In return for the very reasonable fees, he expects a lot. Arrive ten minutes before game time. Officiate in full high school uniform (no sweatpants, no sneakers). Enforce all equipment rules (jewelry, undershirts, headbands, wristbands). Enforce all sportsmanship rules, keeping in mind that these are Catholic school games. He expects veterans to mentor officials new to our group. In other words, act professionally at all times. The only concession is that we don't switch on fouls all the time, we switch when convenient, kind of like the way some of us work our off-season AAU games.

It's great. Really good basketball. Good coaching. Big crowds. Cheerleaders. Complementary food from the concession stands. Good partners (a highly select group, I don't know how I got invited). Almost all games are within a fifteen minute drive from my home. It's like I died, and went to Catholic school basketball heaven.