Shesh
 

Anybody work for a person (HS/College) that makes phone calls to officials requesting them to attend their camp, EVERY summer?

I stopped going to particular camps when there was diminishing returns.

I wonder if the assignor you speak of will award games to those who attend his/her camp.

Used to. :D

And how do you respond?

Haha salesmen in the off season. I have seen the best assigners are the ones that are overbooked at camps, at least in the hs level.

Nowadays everything is through email, so I do not get calls about any of this stuff anymore. So no I do not get phone calls from any assignor anymore even about games during the season. Is this bothering you?

Peace

I let it go to voicemail...


This particular guy is a HS assignor that only uses a staff of about 60 or so officials for his boys games & another 40 or so for his girls games.

Yes, the buy-in for officials is "you too can be on my staff next season if you come to camp."

I passed on the invite last summer as I attended the prior year & I still got a quality schedule from him.
My thing is, if I'm already working a couple JUCO leagues & attending multiple higher level camps each summer, why should I have to pay to get HS games??

Dont get me wrong!! Not that I cant continue to improve, but I feel very comfortable where I stand in my HS association as my post-season schedule reflects success. Hell, I had 2 of his teams in the post-season & also saw quite a few on the road this past season. Glad I saved my time & money last summer!

I could see if it were a quality camp, but its the same ol same ol. No video whatsoever, same clinicians, same war stories, same faces. Think I'll take my chances & pass again, but I dont see why we have to have this conversation yearly :(

For the record, another HS assignor sends his camp brochures in the mail with our checks throughout the year, but he never calls.

We all have to weigh the pros and cons of why we attend a camp. Some will imply that you must attend or else. You have to decide if it is worth the money or the time. No one can make this decision for you as it seems like you have already made an informed decision.

Peace

True, just wondering if anyone out-of-state has to go through the same unwanted solicitation.
I'll do the payola thing to keep my college spot, but for HS, if he doesnt select me somebody else will.

Next year before he has a chance to call you about attending his camp give him a call and ask him if he needs any help with his camp. ;)

I found that the best repsone was to simply send an email (or make a phone call) and tell the assignor:

"I can't make it to your camp, but I wanted to let you know that I AM going to some camps this summer - I will be attending XYZ Camp at Youknowwhat University, and also attending Camp ABC which is part of the End of the Road Tournament."

Most of the time, they just want to make sure their staff is not being lazy, but is attending camps/clinics and working to improve. If the assignor says that none of the above matters, you need to be at MY camp - then you weigh the importance of getting a schedule from that assignor.

Good idea, maybe he'll let me refill the ice in the coolers & grab coffees/bagels for the star studded cast of DI clinicians he uses :D


That's exactly how I approached it last summer, I ended the email by saying, "Although I cannot attend your camp this year, I will be attending 3 camps to help me improve." Never heard back from him & I really didnt expect to get a schedule from him.

Well you do have to attend camps here to keep your license or to get higher consideration in the post season. As it relates to what assignors give you it really depends on where you are in the pecking order and who you are working for. Most varsity officials are not "required" by anyone to go to anyone's camp if you have been at that status a long time. Guys who are still working the freshman, sophomore or JV ball might have to if they want to still get up the latter.

Peace

I doubt there is a middle-aged or younger college official who hasn't had that experience at least once.

MTD, Sr.