What a week for Junior and I it was!
 

Everybody, I am sure, has already read about how MTD, Jr., and I started last week with a mini-Xavier vs. Cincy game on Monday, but it only got better on Friday night.

Mark had a boys' JV game in a league where the southern most school is quite a bit a ways from home. I decided to go to the game with him and observe him. My "better half" questioned my decision not to take any officiating gear with me in case his partner did not show up as I assured her that he would. ROFLMAO!!

Sure enough, his partner did not show up and I officiated, wearing the kahki slacks that I wore to the game and a pair of size 9-1/2 (I wear size 9's) sneakers that belonged to the home school AD. Good thing that Mark had packed a second shirt and naturally had extra whistles in his bag. A fun evening was had by all. :D

MTD, Sr.

Isn't the second rule of officiating "always keep a spare set of gear in the trunk of your car?"

The first rule of life is to always listen to your wife, even if you pretend not to hear her.:D

Is everything else proportional?

Pleated khakis??

Of course. LOL

MTD, Sr.

Belt? :eek:

Bwahahaha!

Saturday, I'm on my way home from a 3 game YMCA set when I get a call from my assigner asking if I can head to a nearby high school for a JV game. Stopped by my house (it was on the way), grabbed some Advil, and headed to the school. They only started about ten minutes late.

Good thing I took my bag even though I was going to my YMCA games dressed.

I'm sure they had a big parking lot available for any of your changing needs.

I have tinted windows in my Taurus for just that reason.

Must've been worried about a speeding ticket!:D

Always, unfortunately, there was no free food.

On a serious note, even when I have to show up "dressed," I'm not wearing my stripes. At the very least, my shoes, shirt, and whistle are in my bag and I'm wearing a plain black undershirt.

I worked a sub-varsity game last Saturday and I had *no clue* how to go to the game.

I dressed in nice clothes and took my bag the same as if I was working a varsity game. The only change was that I showed up at about 9:30AM for a 10AM game instead of 9AM as I was warned nobody might be there before then.

I changed, put on my jacket, went to the gym, and waited. My partner showed up about 9:50AM, dressed in everything except a striped shirt and officiating shoes. He sat on the bleachers and changed and then came and said hello. We started about 5 minutes later.

I'm really not that comfortable coming dressed, I guess -- I'm just not used to it.

+1

I wear a tie to all of my board's assignments, right down to MS. We were told to dress professionally, so I do.

If my board doesn't assign it (rec league, travel, et al), then I dress more casually, but I don't arrive or leave in my stripes.

A tie? Really? I would never consider wearing a tie, particularly not for a MS game....but not even of for a playoff game or even the state final. There are a few people that go that far but most of them have day jobs that have them in such attire. I own ONE suit and wear it to funerals and such.

My normal day job....just about anything...jeans/shorts and a pullover, or even a T sometimes. I do dress "up" when I have a game that night but it is often khaki's or such and a nice golf shirt or button down.

Now, if we got paid professional rates, I could see dressing in a suit/tie but for an amount that roughly equates to minimum wage...no.

I don't wear a tie, ever. I'll wear a pair of slacks and a polo shirt, button down shirt, or a sweater.

Our association's dress code is ties for Varsity games. I don't agree with it not because I don't think we should dress that professionally but because a lot of the facilities we work in don't have adequately clean locker rooms and/or hot running water.

If I'm provided professional acccomadations then I don't have a problem wearing a tie to a game.

So, where are the pictures?:D

I'm happy I don't live/work there. I'd do it, but it's overkill. Hell, only about 10% of the coaches here have ties on, if that.

Business Casual ...
 

Business casual here. Back thirty years ago, it was a different story. Ties and jackets back then, which changed to just ties about twenty years ago, now, it's just, as I said, business casual.

Pepperidge Farms Remembers ...
 

I remember when almost all coaches wore ties. Now, we have some coaches that wear sweats to a game. Like they're going to get off the bench and show their players how to set a screen, or something.

Yes.

MTD, Sr.

I've come to the conclusion that there is no standard here. Most subvarsity officials come dressed. For frosh/JV douvleheaders I dress at the school but sometimes the accommodations stink. This last Friday they had us dress in the boy's locker room a row of lockers from where the players dress. Suffice to say I did not shower afterwards.

Fool Me Once, Well, You Know The Rest ...
 

I had a game at an all girls prep school last week. I had never worked at that school before. As usual, I came dressed in business casual. I was forced to change in an "active" men's room, and by "active", I mean that while I was dressing, several guys came in to use the facilities. There were four lockers available, but no shower.

Next time, I'm coming in my uniform.

Did you notify your association?

When accommodations are this poor, I'll notify the commissioner (assignor) here. Schools are expected to provide us with a reasonable place to change and a shower to use (if we want one). One commissioner did remind us that the schools are not required to provide us with a towel (although those that do are much appreciated by us as we don't have to get ours wet).

Some schools seem to "forget" to provide us water or another beverage at halftime. At those schools, I won't hesitate to ask on the spot. A bottle of water (or access to clean, cold drinking water) at halftime, in my mind, is the minimum of what the school should be providing us.

Same here. Though I have found that it is standard for the snack bars to provide free water to the officials around here.

I was going to ask our chapter president about it but the varsity assigner and secretary were both working the varsity game after me so I figured it was known. We are able to get water from the concession stand usually which is nice but other than that it is at the whim of the school and we (collectively) don't seem to have much influence at all.

A Car In Every Garage, And A Chicken In Every Pot ...
 

Assignment commissioner, president, and secretary/treasurer.

I don't know why they haven't contacted all our members with a "shout out" email to tell us to come dressed to this school, which we've only recently started to service.

After a recent merger with another non-IAABO board, our membership has increased to over 300 members and the quality of communication, even with improved technology, just hasn't been up to par. I'm considering running for our executive committee next season. I'm not really into the "politics" of officiating, but there are better ways of running a local board, especially a growing one like ours. We've got a great local board, with some great leaders, but it can be a little better.