Some of you may remember that I asked this forum's opinion about whether I should move up ASAP or wait a while. (I am in my 2nd year) The consensus was to go for it.

Well, Thursday is the big day. I am getting a formal evaluation at a Boys Varsity game. If I pass, I will be an A official and will be permitted to ref Varsity on a regular basis (playoffs etc...) Right now, I do the odd high school game, 6 or 7 altogether.

I am confident, but not overconfident. I think I have a good chance. I imagine I will a bit more nervous than normal, so I am going to remind myself to slow down a bit when reporting fouls and hopefully look like I know what I am doing. Some fellow officials have mentionned to make sure that I stop completely before reporting a foul, to not rush my out of bounds signals etc..., to stay with my calls a bit longer, to shine my shoes. Any other suggestions?

Thanks, Jay

Jay,just stay within yourself and don't look for a reason to blow the whistle.Get the OOB's right and call the obvious violations and fouls.Do that,and you won't have any problems.

Good luck(but I don't really think that you need any luck).

My advice would be: don't let the observation get inside your head. Officiate your usual game. Don't think about the observer -- or you will forget to officiate.

Chuck

In my Association (Long Island, New York) one cannot move up in his second year. I admit, we do have a large amount of officials (over 200). Ratings for two years are evaluated and only the top 2% have a chance to move up. I am in my fourth year and have not moved up. I do expect that if I have a good year this year, I have a good chance for next year. IMHO, I feel that two years is too soon. I do however, wish you a lot of luck. What's the rush?

Have a thorough pre-game with your partner, especially if you have not worked with them often, or at all, and plan to arrive at the game site early.

Maybe he is just talented.
 

Well the reality is, some officials that talent early, others it takes them longer to develop. I think you cannot put year restrictions on people when some work much harder at it than others. Some officiate for 10 years and still do not get it. So if he has that opportunity and the evaluators feel that he is ready, then he is ready. I had a full schedule my second year and have not looked back since. But I do not think we can just put an arbitrary rule restriction and think it applies to everyone.

Peace

I don't know about talent. The reason I am getting a chance this early is a combination of two things. One, there is room for more A officials. And two, I have received good evaluations and comments from fellow officials. My assignor therefore felt I was ready to give it a try. Not everyone in our association moves up fast. My partner (who is also trying to get his A) has been officiating for quite a few years.

BTW, thanks for the comments.

Jay

If it is not talent, whatelse could it be?
 

Well the is obviously some talent involved. Why you over others that might have officiated longer? You left some impression on other official that saw you work. You must be doing something right or this opportunity would not have been there.

Peace

I'm "moving up" in a few days, too, and trying hard to keep my mind in a good place. Here's what I'm working on ahead of time. Have you seen that ad on TV (I don't remember what the ad is for!!) where the hockey goalie is lying on the dressing room floor with his eyes shut, psyching himself up to a sort of rhythm? I've been doing this before the last few games, not physically on the floor, but mentally getting into a zone. My mentor says, "Hear the music!" When I watch her work, I see what she means, and I'm just trying to live into that. My judgement is pretty good, my mechanics are pretty good, my rules knowledge is getting to be terrific!,' my teamwork with partner is pretty good, I'm handling difficult coaches mostly, but there's a sort of -- dare I say it? -- presence that I haven't got consistently yet. That's the next thing for me to work on (besides losing another 10 pounds!).

If you're on the verge, maybe the self-confidence and presentation thing is next for you, too.

Relax. You can will do just fine. Just call your game and let the chips fall where they may. Do it right but don't worry about the evauators. It is your game and be in charge out there. You cannot let the fact that you will get critized interfere with you calling the game your way. Trust your partner and have fun.

Two years too soon? Maybe. But if you were in an area like I am you would get some 1A Varsity games in your first season. If you know what you are doing.

Commit the routine, the game will be easy
 

I've worked Varsity high school ball in four sports and here are some basketball specific comments I can provide. Other officials here are probably more accomplished than me, so maybe this will start another discussion and will highlight some regional variants:

Make sure you have the pregame stuff ready to go in your mind and make sure you and your partner cover it.

There are a lot of little things at the varsity level that you don't worry too much about at the lower levels and precious little have to do with basketball. Here's my pregame routine:

(0) Have plenty of water in you when you take the court. While the pregame and halftime bathroom visits can be annoying, nothing is worse than on-court dehydration. Especially at the varsity boys level, you need to have your jets ready at a split-second's notice. I drink at least a quart of water starting 2 hours before game time and try to drink more.

(1) Arrive early at the game site. Our association/state recommends one hour but I always show up about 10 minutes after the start of the junior varsity, if I can. Around here, schools (unless the game is radio/TV covered) can start the varsity game early and you don't want to show up in the middle of the fourth quarter of the JV game.

(2) Find the athletic director and get your gear and coat in your locker room. Check on the start time in case they want to start early. Make sure that the AD committs to having someone notify you when there's 21 minutes on the clock (or if they only put 20 on, to not start it until you're notified and on the court). Then I find a seat on the visitor's side and watch the JV game and look over the court, fans, and teams. I stay out of the locker room at halftime unless I'm really tight with the JV officials and they want me to join them. Since I'm in a new state, this is rare.

(3) End of third quarter partner and I get dressed. We dress then pregame, using a court board. We decide then who will be the R and the R does most of the talking

20, 13-ish, 12, 1:30 -- On the court observing at 20 (R with the visitors) getting the number of players for your team so the R can match up in the book, captains at 13:00, R goes right to the table and checks the book at 12:00 and meet with the scorers (while the U straddles the division line and keeps observing). Then the R comes back across and at 1:30 we greet the coaches starting with the visitors (asking if the players are legally attired). We don't "visit." I have fun on the court, but am all business. Not all partners will be like that, so we always have to adjust.

Then we head to the scorer's table. We have introductions and the anthem and THEN we remove our jackets and start the game.
--------------------------

As far as the game itself, the game should be the easy part. Make sure you keep advantage/disadvantage in mind and get the fouls you need to. Nothing screams inexperience like the official that calls a rebounding foul on a little bump where the ball is cleared. Or calls the foul on an outlet pass that kills a fast break. Slower whistles are important the higher you go, in my opinion.

Stay in your primary and enjoy the fact that you know your partner has his area covered. You don't always get that with new officials that you work freshman and JV games with (especially when they blow that whistle on something right in front of you.....grrrrrrr).

Slow down. Then slow down some more. In my first few varsity games back this season, I had a tendency to be way too fast. Fist, birddog, preliminary signal, verbalize. Let your partner know the throw-in location or if there are shots. Stop before reporting. I've concentrated on these things and things have been going much better. Losing the number of the shooter or the person committing a foul is bad at the JV level, it is 100x worse at the varsity level.

Let the coaches chip at you (at this level, the coaches KNOW how to chip the right way, if there is such a thing -- only listen for one thing and that's a timeout request -- you know when a timeout is imminent and look toward the bench on those occasions) and heated coach situations when your partner is a veteran -- THIS is when a newer official (at this level) can lean on his/her partner's experience a little bit.

Most of all, have fun. For me, the intimidating part was always the pregame when you are out there with your jackets on and the gym is filling up. Then the announcements and anthem rev you up a little more. Once it starts, though, it's just basketball.

Regards,
Rich

[Edited by Rich Fronheiser on Jan 1st, 2003 at 01:59 PM]

THIS ONE'S FOR RUT.

I got it. I passed and I am moving up the ladder. The game went fairly well, although I have had better games in terms of flow and confidence. However, my evaluator said my biggest attribute was PRESENCE.

Jay R: Glad it went well for you. Regarding all the comments: the number of years does not necessarily indicate an official's talent, skill or ability. If you have these attributes in two seasons, that's great. However, the number of years DOES represent one's experience, or lack thereof. Even though you display hard work and desire and presence, you do not have the experience with game management that only many, many games can develop. Five or six JV games for two seasons is not a lot of training. Keep working hard and take the opportunities offered to you. I have just seen examples of guys moving up too fast, and falling hard when they get into a hornet's nest (in over their head). Keep up the learning!

Yea, Jay!! Way to go!! Don't look back, just keep running hard, or as Garrison Keillor says, "Keep your head in the clouds, and your feet on the ground."

Tell the rest of this board.
 

I appreciate the the props, but tell the rest of this board. I am not an advocate of one attribute to become a good official, I never have been. But the way you carry yourself, from the way you wear your uniform to the way you talk to people makes a big difference in how you are precieved. I am in sales, it is not always the best lines that get people sales, it is the way they carry themselves. If someone thinks you are a good official because of your PRESENCE than that is just like everything else. Not everyone is going to find themselves in situations that they are going to prove any rules knowledge. Basically because most games do not bring rules challenges or difficult situation that most officials cannot handle.

BTW, great job. I knew you could do it!! ;)

Peace