Let me start by saying that as a second year official, I have absolutely no thoughts of reaching D1 within the next 10 years. I understand that it is an extremely difficult process that most will never complete. Here's my question to you all in hopes of gaining a bit of insight. What are the steps to reaching D1 officiating? Break it down for me in terms of what should be done in each block of years if possible. Years 1-3, 4-6 and so on. Or, just fill me in on whatever you all may know about the process. From reading this board for the past year or so, I can see that many of you have been around for awhile and have seen a lot. Any help you have on this would be appreciated.

A lot depends on you. Attend a camp every summer and start attending college camps when you feel ready. I know of a ref here that is doing D3 after five years of officiating. I chatting with the son of the assignor for D3 last summer during camp. He said that all the clinicians get together after camp and determine who is ready. They also talk about the improvement they saw in officials that didn't make it last year.

In your first couple of years don't get bent out of shape about moving up the ladder. Get good where you are. I would rather be the best JV official on the planet then call a D3 game before I am ready and fail and be sent back never to see the top again.

Once you are calling d3 and d2 on a regular basis, then you can start talking about doing d1. When you feel you are the top 10% where you are, then you are ready to move up.

I'll echo Tim's comments about camp. Camp can only help you improve, even if it doesn't help you move up. I've never seen you work, but my generic advice for somebody with your experience and aspirations would be to attend any respected camp (maybe an IABBO camp) in the summer of 2003 and then find a camp geared specifically for college officials in summer of 2004. I would look for a camp that teaches 3-man mechanics and college philosophies. You might say that seems early to be thinking about college camps. But the fact is that even if you only work 2-man games, you will get a lot out of this kind of camp. If your goal is a certain level, then you might as well start down the path as soon as you're able to do so. If you're still serious about officiating, I would continue to do the best camp I could find, until you get invited to a try-out camp. I waited 6 years before attending any camp. Biggest mistake of my officiating career.

One last note about camps. Go with the right attitude. You have to go with the mindset that you are going to improve your game, period. You're not going to get games or to get hired onto a staff. You're there to pay a lot of money and to learn. So listen to everything everybody says, and ask questions. But do not make excuses or try to explain your mistakes. You don't want to be a "yeah, but" guy. Eventually, you will hopefully impress somebody who says "I'd like you to come down and try out for my conference".

Chuck

Intangibles.
 

There are also major factors that might not have anything directly to do with your officiating. To get to that level you also have to live in an area that an airport is easily accessible. If you live hours from an airport, it might hurt you. Also the kind of job you have is very important. If you have a job with great flexibility, that is also a plus. These are just part of it, but if you live in small town and live over an hour from an airport, that will go into consideration if you get hired. It also helps if you have a competitive background or you have other experiences where professionalism is key.

Getting to that level is not all about your ability as an official. But what really is?

Peace

Re: Intangibles.
 

This is definitely true for the major D1 conferences, but there are minor conferences that won't require you to fly; in part b/c they won't pay for the travel (Ivy League, Patriot League, Northeastern Conference, even the A-10 I think). So you're going to drive to those games anyway, unless you want to pay airfare out of your own pocket.

Chuck

re: speaking of camps
 

Anyone familiar with the Southwest Basketball Referees School directed by Steve Ellinger at Rice University. It says it's geared toward improving high school officials (I'm in my third year.), so I plan to go there next summer for my first camp experience. Then perhaps the following year I'll go to a camp geared toward college officials.

Hey, even if you're fairly new and not that good, some of the D2 and D3 guys will put you to work if you have a flexible work schedule. I know a couple of JV officials who are working D2 and D3 and have no business there. I think they also like to keep the guys coming back to camp, so they can get that $400 to $500 from them. :(

I live in Eastern Pennsylvania. Any suggestions for good summer camps? I am a teacher, so traveling isn't a huge issue in the summer.

Well, it might be a year or two early for you, but Dan_Ref, Love2Ref4Ever and I all attended Mickey Crowley's 5-Star Camp this summer. It's on the campus of (what used to be) Bryn Mawr College in northeastern PA. The instruction and level of play was great. The food and sleeping accomodations sucked. But hey, camp is camp! :)

Chuck

Why do you think it's early? Is this coming summer too early? How do I find info on this camp?

Yep, camp is camp. Mickey's camp is worth checking out. The
level of play is high, the clinicians are first rate and the
atmosphere is friendly (well, they do let people in from
Springfield Mass, but nothing's perfect :) ). Although the
second session (late August) is a *teaching* camp, not
necessarily an exposure camp, I would kinda agree with Chuck
that you might want to attend a rookie camp and get some
experience under your belt first, IAABO runs some excellent
rookie camps. After you have some experience plan on
Crowley's camp, Hoop Mountain, Ed Cartotto's camp. Attending
these camps should expose you to most of the folks you'll
have to know if you seriously plan on moving through D3, D2
& into D1 on the east coast. There are other camps but they
are mostly by invitation or out of the area (ie not going to
expose you to folks you need to be exposed to first). If
you're good, eager, willing to listen and learn and work
hard you'll get invited to the tryout camps eventually.

Good luck, feel free to email me if you like.

m,

The reason that I said it might be too soon for you to attend the 5-Star camp is that the level of play is fairly high. The talent that is attracted to this camp is very impressive. Well, I was impressed, anyway; compared to other camps I've been to.

If you are not ready, your weaknesses will be exposed very quickly. Now. . .that's not necessarily a totally bad thing. You have to expose the weaknesses before you can improve them. But I saw people there this summer that were simply in waaaaayyyyyyyyyy over their heads and they looked lost on the court. I'm not sure that's what i'd want my first camp experience to be.

If you'd like to email me (forget about Dan, he can be cranky :) ), feel free. Actually, Dan was a huge help to me as the only person I felt I knew at camp this summer. Showed me the ropes. He'd be a good source for other camp info for you.

Chuck

You mean like going to the wrong side as lead to administer free throws? :o

yeah, you too pal...grumble...grumble...

No, but that was a fun game. ;)

Actually had my partner in Tuesday's game do that. Fortunately, he did it on the first FT and realized it so that he fixed it before the second FT. BTW, this happened to be the same guy who said it wasn't a kick b/c the player hit the ball with his thigh.

He didn't call as much in my primary on Tuesday night, tho. I think he trusts me a little more now.

Chuck

Hmmmm, did something get deleted from this thread? :eek: