What to do...
 

So, my daughter (who doesn't play sports) began HS this year & I let the assignor of that league know via email. I also blocked the school in Arbiter. When the assignments were released I got 2 quality games at her school anyway. Thoughts?

Contact the assigner, remind him/her that your daughter attends, then:

(1) offer to be released, work the games if s/he thinks it's okay.

-or

(2) decline the games, explain the reason, indicate your willingness to work elsewhere on the same date.

Bob offers two reasonable options for you to pursue, having said that, and having been there and done that with regard to familiy members (sister at the college level; sons at the high school level), my advice to you is that you really have only one option and that is Number 2. You could officiate two perfect games but if either of the games come down to a last second call that you make and your daugher's school wins, no one will care that you graded out with a 100%, you will be remembered as the Homer who screwed your daughter's school's opponent.

MTD, Sr.

If it these are varsity games or varsity night games like a prelim/JV game I would say not to work the games for the reason you stated. If the games are lower level games where very few people are in the gym, I would not find a problem with you working those games. That matters because they are probably trying to fill the games and need people that will be there without much problem. That being said, if it really bothers you, then give back the games and give a reason why and explain you had them blocked off.

Peace

yep, A Dilema
 

On an oft occasion over the yrs, I was pressed into action to call my son's Rec League games. These were Rec Games, and everyone in the league knew I was the only State Certified Official in the league. The coaches or league officials came to me and asked me to do it, usually at game time (my stuff always in the car), as that was a better option than one inexperienced HS kid or NO officials (some might argue that :)). Never had an issue.

BUT, that was Rec Ball. At the scholastic level, I too always informed the Assignor of the situation and blocked my son's games/dates in Arbiter and never did one of his or another game while he played. I would politely turn it back. But, unlike Bob's suggestion, which I understand, I would not volunteer to do another game to help out the Assignor and miss my kid play. Just me.

I've had three kids graduate from the same HS that my wife and I graduated from. I worked games at the school while all three attended. But the key was that none of them played either of the two sports I officiated.

But let's say you're working a game between two teams in the same conference. A call you make could make a difference that affects the standings. What are you going to do? Mark off the entire conference your daughter's school is in?

Everybody is from somewhere. Talk to the assignor and do what you're comfortable with.

If there are enough alternatives in the area, there is no need to put yourself into that situation. Here, with ~75 HS, how hard is it to avoid one school. Plenty of other games out there and plenty of officials who can do that game. It is generally not permitted here...but sometimes happens in Christmas tournaments.

At some point, you have to draw the line. I'd say that is far enough away....but that will vary.

Thanks for the advice all!
FTR, its 2 quality varsity league games (R on 1) of the mere 5 games I was assigned in this competitive league.

At this point Im not good enough to make calls based on who the players are, I simply see the jersey colors & try to make high percentage of correct calls.

I figured that I have taken care of my off-court business, twice... by email & the block feature on Arbiter. This assignor is a DI men's official, who only uses a specific number of officials & runs the league like a college conference.
Perhaps since my daughter is not participating in athletics, he doesn't mind me working there. I trust that he trusts me to be on the games.

I guess the main thing is, I am totally prepared to deal with whatever criticism comes about as a result of my call selection.

I don't see the big deal. If they don't play the sport then who cares. Do your job with integrity and pride and if people want to criticize you they will. The key is integrity. I don't give a rats rear end what someone might say as long as I know I did the job the best I could.

Let's take this a step further.

Over this past summer, High School A merged with High School B, to create a newly named High School C.

"A" was my high school (class of '85), so I had it blocked. I've never blocked B's games.

Should I block C?

27 years ago? IMO, no you needn't block HS C.

I think the point is that you cannot avoid every possible conflict. Someone went to school somewhere and someone has kids somewhere or went to school with someone somewhere. You cannot avoid every possible issue that someone will make out of where you work.

Peace

True... I have quite a few TBAs on my schedule for tournaments, I might see the said team there. I feel comfortable working since she isn't playing.

Every possible conflict, no. But where you kids currently attend, easy.
There is no need for that if you wish to maintain your professionalism.

Some people think you should not work a game in the town you live too. The point is how far are we going to worry about what people perceive their to be a conflict? Professionalism has little to do with who is in a game you are working unless it is your relative on that game IMO. But if there are no relative playing, who cares? I am also saying that it is an individual decision and that of the assignor if they care. And as I said I treat varsity contest different than a lower level game where the people assigned might be available based on proximity of the school rather than who are the best officials. Lower level games have a different focus and usually are not keeping major records or even listed in the media.

Peace

Below is the clip from our State's official website.
An official is prohibited from working in an athletic contest in which a member of his/her immediate family
- son, daughter, brother, sister, mother, father, husband, or wife - is playing or is serving as a coach for
either team. If an official is a teacher, the official is prohibited from working in an athletic contest if one of
the teams represents the school in which the official is employed as a teacher unless otherwise approved by
the Executive Director. All varsity assignments must be assigned by a recognized and approved TSSAA
Local Association.

In TN you would not be prohibited from working a sport at a school just because you child attends said school.

I don't see what professionalism has to do with this argument? Professionalism would be if you didn't think you could adjudicate your duties and responsibilities with integrity and you remove yourself from the contest. I think your statement would read better as

Which is why I wrote, "Talk to the assignor and do what you're comfortable with." We do not have 75 HS here, less than 40 for our association, so the situation will vary by official.

Oregon doesn't prohibit it in general for the regular season, but the Portland Association does.

It is not an absolute....it is a matter of how many schools and organization covers and how many officials there are. In smaller associations that cover few schools, it would be perfectly acceptable and perhaps the best option in some instances. In larger organizations, it is easy to avoid it so why risk a problem.

"Professionalism" is part of "ethical" conduct. In the science/engineering/medical/dental and legal professions, to act in an unprofessional manner is to act in an unethical manner. We like to say that sports officiating is an advocation, but it is really a profession masquerdating as a profession.

MTD, Sr.

A great weekend for Penguins and Buckeye fans.
 

Rut:

It was as great weekend of football, the Buckeyes won, the Wolverines didn't win (of course the didn't lose either), and the Penguins beat the Leathernecks. Have a great football post-season.

MTD, Sr.

MTD, I misspoke. Everyone is throwing around professionalism but it seems like they aren't applying any standards to it. I agree with your statement wholeheartedly. Being a "professional" official means carrying out your duties with ethics and integrity. Allowing personal conflicts to interfere with your job is unprofessional IMO. There are some few people, and I like to think I am one, who can be rational and reasonable and NOT allow personal conflicts to interfere with their duties.

It was a bit of sarcasm intended as a jab at Rut regarding his stance regarding showing up dressed for MS games in contrast to working a game, presumably HS or higher, where you kid is a fan of one of the teams.

Sometimes even allowing the appearance of possible conflict is considered unprofessional.

That works well for people in larger areas, it does not work for people in smaller areas where I originally came from, which is why really this is up to the assignor and what policy they want to have about who works a game and when. Remember the possibility of conflict is usually solely based on the people in those communities, not the officiating community. And why they assume someone lives in a community must be for a team in that community. This is also another reason you see this as an issue at the lower levels and rarely see this at the college or pro level at all. There are pro officials that grew up loving a home town team and they work that home town team which I would think would be more of a conflict, but they still work those games.

Peace

Until now, this has always been easy for me. I grew up out of state, and my kids were in elementary school. This year, my daughter is in ms, but frankly, I'm not worried about it since she's not playing yet (6th grade can't play basketball).

I've blocked out my kids' MS before and added their HS this year now that the oldest is attending (none of them play basketball for their schools). It's a no-brainer for me simply because you don't even want to give a hint of impropriety or give anyone an excuse to question your judgment/ethics.

There are guys in my association who teach and block out their own school plus the school those kids will attend later. Extreme? Maybe, but it's one less thing to worry about.

I think you've misunderstood the entire point. I don't think very many officials think they could not be professional and work a game for a school to which they have a reason to have allegiance to - I think most believe they could be unbiased and could, in all likelihood, do exactly that.

The issue is PERCEPTION. Someone there at the game is likely to know who you are, and that you have the possible allegiance. You could work the perfect game, missing no calls - but still have several close "judgments" to make ... and if ANY of those went toward the school you have the perceived bias toward (even if every call is dead right), the PERCEPTION will be that you (and the assigning organization) cheated their team.

My question to you is when is that not the case anyway? There are people that think we are bias because we share a race with a certain team, they think we live in a certain area or from a certain area or if I work a certain conference or had a team previously. That bar changes with the wind.

I agree that if you can avoid working at a place where you have some actual ties to with a family member that is not the best place to work a varsity game. But if it is lower level games and you were available more power to those. We are never going to make everyone happen and even if we miss a call people draw conclusions that are not there whether a family member is associated with that school or not.

I had two playoff football games one year with the two local HS in my area in back to back weeks. The home school tried to accuse us of being bias or being fair until I told him, "I live right down the street." He stopped complaining and they won the game, but every call seemed to go against them. It does not matter what we do, they will find some slight because they are not looking through objective eyes.

Peace

Rut - While I agree with you that they're going to question our judgment regardless why give them yet another reason to question that judgment? What fans/coaches/players think of your judgment is not in our control. Not giving them further, and in this case actual, ammo to question our judgment is in our control. Why even introduce it as a possibility when it's easily avoided?

I guess Rufus I should never work at a all-Black school against an non-Black school as I would give them another reason to say I was bias right? I say that accusation is made often where I live and where I live means nothing as all the folks who want to claim something, claim the racial mix of the crew had something to do with our calls. Or that you are not from the inner city. Or that you are not from the suburbs. Or you went to a private school and played in that conference with a team you might not have ever liked. Fans are irrational as well as coaches. I am not saying we should willingly do this all the time and should avoid these situations as much as possible. I would not work a game where a family member attends or works at any varsity level. But if it was a freshman game, I just might under the right circumstances.

My football crew chief will not work at a school where the head coach and he played D1 college football together. They are good friends and every time the coach sees my crew chief, he gives him a big hug because they know each other well. This happened once in a playoff game so he has decided to mark off that school anytime they are in the playoffs. That is why I say this is really a personal decision and based on the teams in your area and the dynamics. This cannot be applied across the board as where I started officiating there were not many schools to avoid. But where I live now, I might not see the same team 5 years apart under the right circumstances.

Peace

I actually have worked games that my daughter played in (middle school). The only issue that came up with this was the family getting upset cause I called her for travelling and a couple fouls. This of course was in the middle of nowhere in Montana where you didnt have to be a certified official for middle school.

I hear what you're saying, but it's a bit of a straw-man argument. The OP asked about relatives at the schools regardless of the level called. I would avoid calling for those schools is all I'm saying.

As to your other points I agree you can get nuts with the exclusions and why I limit school scratches to those that involve family members.

All I really am saying is "it depends." You cannot allow fans to dictate everything we do. If the assignor has a policy then I am OK with that. But if their kid is not playing on the team, then that is another consideration. And if none of this is varsity, I say who really cares.

Peace

I could see where this is a good idea, not to protect myself from the appearance of impropriety, but to protect my kids. If I worked a more visible sport such as basketball or football, I'd consider doing this just to keep my children from being put in the middle.

While I'm professional enough to keep my officiating decisions separate from the rest of my life, I can't guarantee that the coaches, teachers, and especially other students can do the same.

I don't give a rats a$$ about perception. People will perceive whatever the hell they want to. Facts and reality are all that I care about. If we don't care about what fans, coaches, the world think about our calls during a game. Why the heck do we all of a sudden start caring after the fact.

Just do your job. People will perceive and think whatever they want to. It's out of your control.

Excellent point.....one I've thought of in the past but was not currently on my mind.

You make a big call (correct or not) that causes your kid's school to lose. Other kids are going to know who ref is and who your child is. It only takes one knucklehead to cause your child trouble that they don't deserve. I wouldn't want my kid to be faced with that situation.

We've all heard that perception is reality. It's the reason we try not to appear overly buddy buddy with one coach over the other...cause the perception can come across as if you're favoring that coach if a tight call goes in his favor even if that had nothing to do with it. Perception does matter in this work of ours.

I think this whole issue comes down to what one is personally comfortable working and especially your assignor is comfortable with it.

I couldn't agree more.

From Our New Professional Standards Code Of Ethics ...
 

Officials recognize that anything which may lead to a conflict of interest either real or
apparent must be avoided. Gifts, favors, special treatment, privileges, employment or personal
relationship with a school or team which can compromise the perceived impartiality of officiating must be
avoided.