Local politics blues
 

I will keep this fairly short but I just found out that my local chapter, the smaller one I had joined last season after leaving the larger one, lost the vast majority of their games to the larger chapter.

I don't know what this is going to mean for this season but I'm bummed. I just want to call local games and not deal with all of the political BS. It doesn't feel like I can even hope to avoid it.

I do apoligize this just me venting. I was looking forward to this upcoming season too. :(

The stuff you guys have going on in your state completely baffles me.

In NC, schools are assigned to a local association by the NCHSAA.

I'm glad we don't have to worry about BS like this.

I'm not sure how it works exactly, but I don't think our schools are assigned by CHSAA. Regardless, I only have one local option for high school ball. Middle school ball is assigned by guys who work in the high school association, and they all cooperate.

It's really pretty simple, though, for us.

Same boat here. My association used to have the local private schools and 21 public schools (2 10-team conferences and 1 small school). New commissioner elected in 2010 and old commissioner started new association and got one of the conferences. 2011 we lost the other conference leaving us with the 1 small school plus the private schools. Now we are losing the small school b/c we are not sactioned by the state.

Texas is a joke...
 

I don't know if it is the area I'm in or what, but the football is no better than I've seen in Illinois, Indiana, or California. In fact, the football I worked in CA was much better than the stuff I worked around Corpus Chrisit. And this stuff with TASO and UIL trying to figue out who has the bigger penis is rediculous. I had the least fun officiating in this state that I ever had. Thank God I'm moving back to Indiana, can't wait to start working games there.

Coming from California, Texas has been...interesting as far as football is concerned. I did not call basketball in California so I don't have much to compare to in that sense. What I can say is that officiating was not nearly as politically disfunctional there as it is here.

The TASO v. UIL thing being a big one but in general, it's an ugly animal here in comparison. Coaches having so much influence on the whole process is another big one.

BNR, your situation sounds fairly similar. Are you just staying the course and doing what you can? I do have the option of joining the larger chapter in addition to the one I belong to but I'm not necessarily inclined to do so.

I am even happier that we do not get assignments because of what group we belong to. We get assignments if the assignor/supervisor of a conference likes us and assigns us a game, much like the college model. Associations are only training and education bodies. I would hate to have my games be contingent on what group I am a member of.

Peace

How have you been my friend? I hope all is well. Where in Indiana are you coming back to?

Peace

I'm liking the sound of that system more and more.

I have decided that as long as my association still has local HS contracts that I will not work for the competing organization. So I'll work whatever private school games get assigned to me, but to keep myself active in the VHSL (state-sanctioned public schools) I'm going to join an organization outside my immediate geographical area. They have some outlying schools that are closer to me than to the majority of their membership.

West Lafayette, Eric Harmon will be my assignor for basketball and if he feels I'm capable I think he may use me for his local underclass football games. I think his crew is pretty spread throughout the state.

Coaches have WAY to much pull in Texas. First game last season coach starts dropping F-Bombs on my sideline. Knowing how much pull they have I tell him it isn't appropriate and he plays stupid, "What did I say". He does it a second time and I tell him "that is enough, next one gets a flag" and he calls my white hat over and refuses to let me be part of the conversation. My white hat then asks me if I'll move to the other side of the field and I tell him no, and ask him "who's team are you on?" It happens a third time and I flag the coach and he looses it, my white hat ask if I'll go to the other side now and I say "sure, but you need a new flank for the rest of the season."

In this sitch, not only did the coach have too much power, but my white hat decided to expand his power. He appologized to me after the game, and I worked the rest of the season, but I knew I wasn't going to remain on that crew if I had stayed in TX. The rest of the guys were OK, umpire needed some work from a rule book perspective. Heck, my white hat did too, I can't tell you how many times he came to me for rule clarifications during a game.

jrut you either dont work in the catholic league or you have never tried, because you wont get games in that league unless you belong to the coa. i do agree that for the most part our system seems better, but i think it is naive of you to say or believe that politics still isnt involved.

I never said in this thread there were no politics at all in basketball or in this area. But I also think people use this as a built in excuse for other personal failings or not doing what people could do to help their standing or schedules. I was the president of an association for 3 years and we had a couple of assignors that were members and they gave games to all kinds of officials. Being a member of that association (the oldest in the country BTW) had no benefit of you being a member to get games from those conferences that the assignors worked under.

I am also a COA member and have been for a long time in both football and basketball. Being a COA member is not the end all be all of working that league in basketball. There might be people that are paid members but not active members. I know of a few that have never attended a meeting and they get games. Also this is one league out of 20 or so and working that league is a hassle for many unless you live in Chicago city limits. You are not going to work 25-30 games in any league at the varsity level for sure (well unless you are a WFA member. LOL!!!). I work that league and have had some of the better games in that league and I only see about 4 or 5 at most a year. And I have worked games in every school in that league over the years except Gordon Tech (had them on the road a couple of times) and it took years to accomplish that feat. And my schedule in that league reflects more what I do in other places and my standing as an official. The assignor is not stupid; he wants guys that his school is going to see in several tournaments or in the post season, things he does not control.

Peace

You should change your post title from "Texas is a joke..." to the "UIL is a joke..." -- they are the ones that single-handedly are trying to destroy an organization that has served officials very well for many decades.

At the local level in Houston, the UIL is even a bigger mess -- I personally can't believe that the members have let the president and board get away with half of the crap he has done. It is unbelievable and completely unethical.

Dirty little secret: Coaches have a lot of influence at EVERY level.

Great guy ... you'll enjoy working for him!

On some level they do, but they have to explain themselves to many people in other areas. Heck if a coach tries to ban an official around here they just might get them again in some capacity.

Quick story. There was an official in my area that is a very good official and happened to tick off some coach in a conference. Well the coach ended up having this guy in a Christmas Tournament. Then when the playoffs took place he got this officials again for all his games. So it only goes so far in many places and some assignors will want a very big reason to ban a guy from a school or not put them on future games. Assignors know who their silly coaches are and act accordingly.

Peace

This.

This is one of the major reasons I'm considering not doing high school anymore and focusing specifically on college.

The TASO vs. UIL thing isn't helping either.

sorry to disappoint you, but coaches have way more say at the college level. maybe not who they will have on their games, but certainly who wont be working games in their gym.

I think people are smart enough to know that.

than you shouldnt say one of the reasons you are planning on concentrating on college rather than high school ball is to avoid the fact that coaches have way too much pull!:p

College coaches have to have a little more accountability when they complain at that level. It does not work in many cases as "I simply do not want to see that guy on my games." They usually need some video or something unprofessional to happen to accomplish to ban or blacklist someone from their games. After all the official supervisors answers to the commissioner (of the conference), not the coaches. And a commissioner is not going to be all for a coach controlling who works on a game. Coaches at that level have to be more professional and have some national standards to follow. I ejected a coach this past year in a college game and I have to send a report to the governing body.

Peace

Sorry, you're wrong on this one ... I've had experiences on the lower-level college (JuCo) as well as the Division I level where coaches had direct influence on me not working future games for them. Both cases were technical fouls that were very well deserved, but with which the coaches disagreed. There was no accountability for them or and requirement for them to back-up their complaint with anything other than "I don't want that guy back"

I guess it depends on the supervisor because there is a certain D1 supervisor that took over a staff in recent year and it was felt that if an official T'd a coach the conversation or interaction would be different with the new supervisor.

Also in my experience I have worked for some very strong supervisors and coaches had very little say or they had to do more than just ban a guy. That does not mean that a supervisor is going to send you into the lion's den and put you in a bad situation. It just means that they are not in that big of control. And in college it is not unusual to have a coach or team two or three times. I know a NAIA coach that one time tried to complain about a D1 official and that official went back to that school or had them later that year and the next year. I guess it just depends on who you are working with then.

And at the D1 level I have seen many officials that have had run ins with coaches only for them to work their games in the future. Now maybe in those cases they are not trying to ban those coaches, but that does not mean there is not accountability to review tape or show something that was done wrong by the coach. This is also probably part regional and part based on each supervisor. But at the D1 level for sure there are more games on tape and it is not like HS where a coach can make a claim and then there is no evidence or multiple angles to prove what was called or done in a game.

I am not saying either that coaches have no say, but I would not compare at all what we see at the HS level as the same as what we see in college.

Peace

True ... every coordinator has their own approach.

I think it's better that the coordinator has complete control and the coaches have little or zero control ... it's just that, oftentimes, that's not the case.

I was not saying that coaches have absolutely no say whatsoever. I am saying they just have to prove a little more about why they do not want someone on their games. College conferences have a smaller staff and it is not like a coach can ban the entire staff and not have to prove why.

Peace

Since the coordinators at the college level are hired by the conference and the assignor wants to keep their job (presumably), they have to, on average, please the conference (read as coaches). If they don't, the conference will hunt for a new assignor.

Ripley's ...
 

Here in "The Land of Steady Habits", coaches "vote" for officials who will work the state tournament. Believe it, or not, they actually do a pretty good job selecting officials. They seldom select an official who doesn't deserve to be there. Full disclosure. I have never worked a state tournament game. I've come close a few times, but have never worked the "big show".

I know this and my post was regarding how it is done here in Texas as compared to California.

Here, football coaches actually draft the crews for their games. The result is similar to what you get from w_sohl's experience. Talk about letting the inmates run the aslyum. I don't think that's done at any level in college, even in...wait for it...the SEC.

Why is it that when people aren't getting what they want it is politics? If you just want to work local games, then only take local games you get offered to work. If that doesn't appeal to you, move on.

If it is about getting the best games, then go out and earn the trust of your fellow officials, assignors, and the local teams by calling good games. If you are good enough, eventually you will be able to do a little more picking and choosing.

Just venting

I suggest you actually read my post and attempt to understand it before venting.

I lost a HS conference for a long time because, in football, my crew ejected a player for spearing and when the coach came out to check on his injured player, got in my face and got a flag for his trouble.

C'est la vie. I still filled my schedule from other conferences and eventually the assignor retired and now the new assignor offers us dates (but they're already filled by the other conferences). My crew thinks we should run back, but I'm in no hurry. We've done fine without that conference.

Of course, I'm in a system like JRut's -- I deal with about 7-8 assignors and if one isn't happy with my work (this has been the only assignor to not use us/me in basketball, football, baseball), I'll just take more games from the other assignors. In a centralized, one-assignor system, I had to please one person and that's not always as easy.

The college level is completely different, in my experience. At least in my experience, the coaches don't completely run the asylum. They do force the assignor to hold us accountable, though, which shouldn't bother a good official.

I did, you said "politics" and "you just wanted to work local games." If there is something more, it was not in the OP.

Politics around here seems synonymous with people complaining about why they cannot get ahead. Politics is an excuse, either you have what it takes or you don't.

Sorry you are unhappy with your situation, but you are an independent contractor. Which means you can pick and choose where you want to work, choose the games that suits your schedule. The choice is yours.

Perhaps a discussion with your assignor will give you the "local" schedule you had hoped would be available? Oh wait, that wasn't part of the OP, you are just bummed about having to go back into the larger group where you were not getting things your way, errr, I mean the politics were keeping you from getting what you wanted. Smaller group politics are difficult too, unless you are part of the good ol' boys there.

Good luck with your group. Just keep working hard and once you are trusted enough, you will have more say in your schedule. Sounds like a real job in the real world, become a leader within your organization and you can frequently write your own schedule. Or is that politics?

Coaches at the college level change a lot more than at the HS level. And the lower the level, the more this is possibility and a reality as these coaches are always looking for a better opportunity. We are not talking about guys at the lower college level that are Coach K types out there.

Peace

That's a black and white (and naive) view that doesn't really reflect reality in this vocation.

My guess is you've never experienced the affects (effects?) of politics within an organization OR you've never been on the $h1tty end.

At least you got the reading part of it right. For what it's worth, the politics I mentioned, and which is understood by my fellow Texas officials, is in regard to the ugly struggle that's going on here between two organizations. I'd elucidate further but you seem to already have your mind made up about my motives. Thank you for inferring the worst of intentions out of my post.

Not always.

In the case of the Houston UIL chapter they completely manipulated the schedule of those that they did not like. There was a group of us that sued the chapter because of a fraudulent "vote" that was pushed through by the current board to change from TASO to UIL. They did not follow Texas Law nor Robert's Rules of Order ... they simply did what they wanted to do because it was the president's agenda.

All of us that sued received schedules that were completely crap games -- places I hadn't worked in years!! It was clear the the president had decided to manipulate the assigning process to get some revenge. He also tried to tell officials assigning tournaments that they couldn't use certain people, which caused a huge uproar.

Keep in mind that those of us that sued were almost all college officials, some working at the Division I level, including myself. So, there was no issue based on "having what it takes" ... it was politics pure and simple.

It's interesting to me that the same guy is STILL president of the chapter, when his term and term limits have LONG expired. I can't understand why several hundred officials just stand there and let him get away with it.

Nevermind how long it took for bylaws, amongst other things, to be put into place once the organization switched over. And you know why on the second part. As long as people were still getting games, why rock the boat, right?

Exactly.

No one voted to rewrite the constitution or form a new organization, but the president took it upon himself to come up with an entirely new document, putting things in that were never voted on, nor discussed with the members. He simply has no respect for how organizations are run and thinks it's his own little playground.

There is also a question now of where the TASO money went that was in the bank at the time ... somewhere around $50,000 just "disappeared" ... and no one has provided any sort of financial documents for years.

There are some people looking into this now (legally) and it will all come out eventually ... I'm really going to enjoy telling a few people "I told you so!!"

Well, my area is affected by politics and my concerns have nothing to do with getting games. I could join the other association and would be working a top flight schedule from day 1.

Sorry, but your broad brush strokes don't cover the entire canvass.

Lots of words for someone who has no experience with the problem Welpe is referring to. Nice advice - become a leader in an organization ... problem is, the organization in question is run entirely by the good-ole-boy network. Merit or ability has nothing to do with it.

I don't put everyone who bugs me on my ignore list, but when I do, he's a real tool.

How is it that Ft. Bend ISD (one of the largest school districts in the area and state) wasn't using the Houston Chapter to begin with?

Or rather, why?

Good question and one I don't have an answer to. What I do know is that Houston did have most of the FBISD games just a few years ago but lost them and now has gained them back again. Of course Houston lost quite a few Katy games this year to another chapter.

I do bet, however, there are some very well deserving officials who don't get picked...perhaps ones that just don't put up with bad coach behavior....or just are not as charismatic but call just as good if not better at calling the game.

I am going to have to agree with the premise that 7IronRef is stating. I think people use the "politics" issue as an excuse too often. And this does not appear to be as much of a political issue as a personal choice. Now I know nothing about Texas situation and it seems like there is an ongoing fight between local groups and that is unfortunate. But that does not mean that some of these issues are not some personal choices. Welpe did say he moved from one association to another. That to me is not politics that is choosing and making the wrong decision if at the end of the day you want to work a certain set of games. Forgive me but that does not seem to be a political problem at all. It does not seem anyone told anyone to not belong to one over the other. Now who has games is a political issue, but not one that involves an individual working games.

Peace

7iron's comments may be right, in general, but to apply his general experience and try connecting the dots with Welpe's post is just stupid.

And even your insinuation that Welpe made a wrong decision is based on incomplete information. We all know some of the crap going on in Texas, and Brad's comments specifically about the Houston area (Welpe's area) shed a bit more light on it all.

Look, he said he decided to change associations and did not say that he was made to move or was fired from one or the other. None of us are going to know the entire story or claim to know the entire story. I am just saying that based on what was said here, Welpe made a decision and is complaining here partly about the decision. Who gets games is out of all of our control. I know when conference assignors are fired in my area or die (which happen recently) then I cannot control that outcome as to who gets the conference. It could mean realistically I would be out of that conference, but that is nothing I can control. Then again I do not have to put all my eggs in one basket either to work games. I work for enough people that if I get fired from one or the assignors die or are fired, I can get other games. There are people in my area that will work for one or two assignors and if something changes or they do not get moved up their immediate claim is "politics." Not that they go to other assignor's camps or think that because they work for one guy that the others guys may not respect the choices one assignor makes to hire people. People around here think you work for one assignor the others should just fall in line and give me games when in some cases certain assignors do not like each other or think that the quality of the games in one conference is subpar to another conference. That is not politics that is knowing the landscape and adjusting to that landscape.

I do not claim or try to claim I have intimate knowledge of his situation or the specifics of why he made that decision or why one group lost games to the other. I guess to me politics are not about personal decisions or unforeseen situations that come up in this business. Politics if present are about what others do to you to prevent you from working or the structure that keeps you from moving up the ranks. That is not what he stated in his OP. If there is more to the situation I would certainly like to hear it if he wishes to share.

I think we need to stop being so sensitive to what people read into your words. Not everyone here is going to understand all your personal situations.

Peace

I am relatively new to Texas and I have no idea what the history is between TASO and UIL. And I could really not care less. I just want games. I have already switched associations from Dallas to an adjacent association that swallowed up 3 of Dallas' largest school districts. I made the choice to drive further to many games in order to increase my opportunities overall. The only person in the association organization I care about is the assigner of games. I made sure the assigner knows who I am and has seen me work. I know this will be the best way to make sure I get the best games I can get. The things I cannot control (the "politics") I do not worry about.

Football does. Not sure if this is exactly the same reason ... but as an official that lives in Ft. Bend county, driving to the Houston meetings is a VERY long, very crowded drive. Had a meeting at 7:30 once - I left work at 4. I was late. Conversely, the bulk of the football officials in the chapter live closer in, and don't want to work, "way the hell out in Fort Bend".

The geographics of the Houston chapter are just too large... nevermind all the other issues.

I could write volumes on this but I made the switch to a smaller chapter so that the time investment was not as severe, which was best for me and my family. There is something to be said for not driving over an hour one way to attend a meeting or the only offered training from the chapter, let alone the games themselves. The smaller chapter is closer to home and not fraught with as nearly as many problems as the larger. I'm a subvarsity official that wants to work varsity one day but I'm realistic enough to know I'm working the right level right now. This has nothing to do with the quality or level of the games I'm working. It isn't about the politics of how games are assigned.

What I'm frustrated with is losing the ability to work games in a chapter that is a better fit for me due to some serious political struggles going on at a level well above my head. It is not as easy for me as "go join the other guys."

I'm not looking for pity, I understand this is the choice I made when putting my lot in with the loser. I have to admit I was quite surprised to hear our chapter lost an entire school district after having just gained all of it not that long ago.

If I wanted to invest more time and energy into driving all over to attend meetings and training, I'd do it. Heaven knows I already do so for football, including all of those meetings that mbcrowder talks about. If it's going to come down to the point where working games eats too much into my life, then basketball will get dropped and I'll stick with working baseball and football.

For most of us, politics is local and personal. Who did I piss off? Did I do the right camp? Did I work enough of the crap games this year? Did I attend enough meetings and make sure the right people saw me there?

For some, however, it's political stuff that happens way over our heads. Did they negotiate a decent pay rate? Did our association hold on to the Metro Conference? Did I pick the right association?

Picking the right association can be like picking a route home from work only to find that there is an accident in your path costing you an extra 90 minutes on the drive. It wasn't a "wrong" choice, except in hind sight.

For me, it's easy. There's only one association for high school basketball and we cover a very large area. For you, it's easy, because your conference assigners aren't tied to the association network directly. But when the "right" association for your local games changes due to high level pissing matches, that's not so easy. It's easy to judge from afar, though.

Welpe is relatively new to basketball, and this is the sort of association level politics that tends to drive good officials away. If it's stuff they have control over, it's one thing. Get your face seen, get your name known, go to meetings, work the 7th grade girls games three towns over. But when they pull that rug out, you can expect a bit of frustration from decent officials who just want to play "the game" and get games.

Who's In Charge Here ???
 

Same here. My local IAABO board is the only game in town for high school basketball, covering three counties, seventy high schools. We hire an assigning commissioner, who works for us. He assigns games under guidelines established by us. The assigning criteria involves ratings, including peer ratings, rankings, and availability, all established by us. We have a committee that reviews his assignments every year to make sure that he fairly assigns games for us. It's about as transparent as you can get.

Same for us
 

Billy's situation sounds just like ours; except we have 9 high schools and the pacific ocean (well within a couple of hours).

Football and basketball both are small associations where we struggle to get enough officials when most of the teams play at home. All of the assigning is reviewed by the board and if you put some effort into it you can move up to varsity fairly quickly.

It probably helps that we are in a lesser populated area where the big town is between 50K and 60K people. I'm not sure how it works in Seattle but I do know that I don't hear rumblings of political strife and the officials that have moved into our area from the big city haven't said much either.

I really feel for you guys that have struggles off the court.

This is no different than anyone else I have come in contact with. You will not work in my area unless you are seen by the right person or you do not do the right things or be available when you claim you are available.

Not stuff any of us can control. As I said we have had conferences change assignors, tournaments and shootouts. You deal with it and move on. Change with the times and work hard and you would be surprised what opportunities come your way.

We all do that from time to time. Again it does not mean your career is over. Heck you know how many camps I have gone to only to not get hired or to not be worth the time? I do not complain about it, I learned from it and chose better the next time.


Well it is not easy here, because you have to go to many camps, please many assignors and hope that when they give games you are not already booked. Or better yet if you are trying to get into college that the certain assignor is not ticked off that those varsity games you just were assigned is not going to take your entire schedule if you give back one date. Then you have to worry about the one assignor thinks that you are not ready for varsity is made when you give back those sophomore games on a Friday that they will not hold that against you in the future. Oh and let us not talk about double booking or other unfortunate issues like not putting the right information on the Arbiter when you close a date.

I never said it was easy or that politics do not occur. It is how you look at it or learn from others to avoid some issues.

I am running camps right now where people are like Welpe and others that want to get games and get anything they want. Then we have to deal with the guy that wants it all right now. A big part of the politics we deal with is the guy that thinks they are better than everyone and should be working the State Finals or D1 right off the bat. But these same guys give back sophomore games because they are not willing to prove their worth at that level, but only want to work varsity. Then in these camps when we see someone tell a clinician that they have no idea how the fight started and that they were not aware that there were problems before, they cannot understand why they are not assigned an East-West game (any number of schools this could apply to) or the top Christmas tournament. Look I sat on the waiting list for one of the best or most well known in the country for 10 years while thinking the entire time I was worthy. Well I finely got in that tournament and I am so blessed it did not happen sooner.

We all have a process to follow. My point is we should work hard and control those things we can. We cannot control everything in officiating and in life.

Peace

I can sympathize and something similar could have easily happened to me after I switched. My new association could have easily not been able to handle the extra school districts and lost them back to Dallas the following season, and then I would be stuck driving 100 miles round trip (at least) to the middle of nowhere every night when I live and work in a big metro area. But I was fortunate that things have been so much better, and Dallas lost more schools to us this season.

Ultimately, this is supposed to be something we enjoy and if it's not enjoyable, we are forced to make tough choices.

I lived in Houston for 1 year for work. I lived in the Galleria area, worked in Greenway Plaza, and the majority of my games were in Katy.

Unbelievable.

The worst was the 7:00pm tip I had @The Woodlands and didn't get to leave work until 4:45. I looked like a Nascar driver....

What road west were you on that let you drive like a Nascar driver? More likely you were on I-10 or the Westpark, standing beside your car, trying to see why no one was moving. :)

Not exactly unique.

Tony Timmons stated clearly that he would enforce each chapter's by-laws if the chapter itself refused to. That was a lie -- he did absolutely nothing in regards to a chapter where this was happening. I know nothing about what happened in Houston, but it sounds like he ignored it there as well.

you seem to think that you are entitled to games just because you have reached a certain level.

face it, when regimes change, so does the balance of power, whether it is officiating, business, or politics.

you think that you could remain neutral toward someone you do not care for? you would not take care of the people who supported you over the ones that didn't? btw you sued because you didn't get your way or felt you were not treated fairly, how did the lawsuit turn out? sounds like your group lost which indicates things were satisfactory in the eyes of the law

must be a very nice view from your tower

good ole boy network = i can't get ahead based on how good i think i am

the same principles apply to referees as they do to players, if they are good enough they will be identified.

sorry you are not getting the games you think you should be, but there are literally hundreds of thousands of sports officials that aren't getting the 1 BIG game had on any given night....STFU

OMG, I made your ignore list.
BTW, you and I have met at a couple of camps. We seemed to get along fine and even had a pretty decent game.
Good luck to you

Hmmm, addressed everyone but my post, wonder why. :confused::rolleyes:

Stay classy, San Diegeo. :rolleyes:

I was at the October 2009 meeting in Houston where Tony was spewing fire and brimstone. A few years later and it's a decidedly different tune.

That's a funny statement. Usually made by a "good ole boy". Or just an a$$-clown.

Spoken like a good ole boy. This had nothing to do with whether I could get ahead or not, nor anything to do with my own talent level.

If things were run right, you would be correct. That fact that what you say here is NOT the way things work is the problem.

I stopped working here - not because of the games I got, but rather because I could no longer in good conscious support a group that was run so corruptly. When you show up week after week and work with officials that clearly have no idea what they are doing, but continue to get work because they were drinking buds with the scheduler or the nephew of the VP, or whatever - it grinds on you.

You make a lot of assumptions, and you clearly have no grasp of what the actual problems were (and still are).

1. If this was true, I wouldn't be too surprised. People often have different personalities on line than in person.
2. You've got me curious, congratulations; but I'm 80% positive this isn't true. Maybe someone you met at camps is trying to claim my identity?

He claimed he knew me too. I would not be worried about it or even care. It is probably not true either way. ;)

Peace

Why do people even try to stay anonymous on the forum (or anywhere else for that matter)? I think that if everyone had to put their real name next to their posts there would be a lot less trolling!

Besides that, even if you are using a different name, it's not all that hard to track down who someone really is if you have the right tools :)

+1

Peace

The fact is that there are good ole boy networks. They exist just about everywhere to some degree.

The fact is that many officials who think their schedule is poor because they are outside "the network" are simply not as good as they think they are.

The fact is that there are officials who others believe are "in the network" that they think are not as good as they are....and they may or may not be right.

Hiring/Assigning decisions are made base on many factors...not exclusively the ability to call the game. That's life. Not one of you would do it any different, no matter what you say. You can't. You're human. When given the choice between two people, your choice will ALWAYS be swayed by the secondary factors.....to a greater or lessor degree, of course, but you'll never eliminate it.

You simply have to establish the fact that not only are you capable of calling the game, but that you are also going to make life better for your assignor. Maybe those guys getting the assignments took a whole bunch of 5-grade girls games for that assignor year after year when the assignor was in a bind....they took care of the assignor. Now, the assignor takes care of them. The whole world of any competitive business is give and take and is a much larger picture than a single game or season. The influencing factors always extend way outside of the immediate task.

Yeah, 80% was generous. It's a lot closer to 100%.

I may not use my real name, but I'm far from anonymous.

Some of us have assignors, supervisors, etc. who do not really wish us to be on forums like this. Mainly at the college/pro level, I'm sure.

While you can tell who we are (if we have multiple accounts), they can't.

I also think a lot of the reason guys never advance or advance the way they want to is they do not learn their system. We have a lot of people in my area that think they are going to work varsity for everyone if they work for one guy. First of all that almost never automatically happens and you have to be seen by each person at their camp or at a game. We do not have a lot of guys that assign other levels and if they assign summer ball that is just to cover those games, not to evaluate the ability of the officials that show up (and it is not like they will be there). I think we need to do less complaining and more learning in many areas and we will be better for that knowledge.

Peace

The other thing about our system is that you can't sit home and wait for assignors to call. You have to be willing to send emails and call, where appropriate, and figure out how to market yourself. It could be going to the right camp. It could be sending along a list of closed dates and helping out the assignor, etc.

And do not show up at the doorstep or workplace of your assignor either. :eek:

Yes that did happen recently happen with a couple of people. SMDH!!!

Peace

I'll take "Fastest Ways to Retire From Officiating" for $500.

Sometimes I dream, that he is me... Like Snaqs, if I could be like Snaqs :D

+1

Tough to be successful at playing the "game" when you dont know the rules of the game.

Dr. Frank N. Furter, I Presume ...
 

That's my local board. We are not discouraged from participating, but we are discouraged from using our real names, or local affiliation. That's why, while most of you know me a BillyMac, an environmental chemical analyst from a little corner in Connecticut,when in reality, I'm just a sweet transvestite from Transexual, Transylvania.

And we all know good and well that it is also a fact that there are very talented officials who get screwed by the system in their area because they don't fit into the "network"...you have seen it in Portland. I know several very good officials that could never get on your assignor's "network".

I understand that ... and as long as you are talking rules, play situations, etc. then I get it. However, some use their anonymity to say things they never would if their real name was attached to their comments... it's those people that I think are fooling themselves. You're not nearly as anonymous as you think!

I would be happy to tell people I trusted who I am. A few people here who have disagreed with me actually know me from other places, and probably don't even know it. But I'm on a couple of college staffs in multiple sports and I was told to make sure I'm anonymous online or not online at all. I get it, but this is a wonderful resource and I have learned a lot online and I'd rather be anonymous and still participate than disappear entirely.

In time, most every good official I know of has made it here...I can't think of anyone who has been shortchanged. I know of some that feel they've been shortchanged, but their opinion is biased. They don't get there as fast as they want. Too many want immediate reward.

Our assignor generally chooses to be slow bringing people up, and slow moving people out. More often than not, the people that get most frustrated want it all today and don't want to pay their dues like all those before them had to do. Those that stick around, and truly are good enough, get there.

Is there not always officials that a very good that do not get a shot somewhere? Does that not come with the territory? I know tonight there is someone complaining that some player that was drafted was not as good as some guy they played with or against at some point. That does not mean the "network" was the reason they did not come get their shot. I know being involved in some associations and camps that many of the things that hold people back or never get the shot they think they deserve is often because of something they do off the court than on the court.

Peace

Yep, you're right. And sometimes life just isn't fair.

We'd rather that too :)

All true...but again, there are good/great officials who are passed over because they don't fit in with the "network", and you know it. Just like Camron knows it. And I am not talking about myself - there is no whining here on my part...but I have seen instances both here and across the river - whether Camron wants to admit it or not - where awesome officials were passed over because they didn't drink at the "right" establishment with the "right" people. It happens, we all know it.

For those who have "made it" to now say things like "well it must be something he/she did off the court" or "they just aren't ready" is simply adding themselves to the "network".

There it is. Sports are supposed to teach us this, right? Life lessons? Revealing character? I know I've certainly learned more than a few things.

The one I hear from time to time is, "I'm just tired of their excuses." I have no idea what to say to that.

Honestly, I can't think of any obvious examples. It may be that I just can't remember the person, but if you want shoot me a PM or email, which will remain private, with a couple of examples, I'd certainly entertain the idea. And, if I agree, I'll come back here and post that I agreed. It is certainly possible.

I guess it depends on what you mean by "Don't fit into the network?"

There are a lot of guys that do not fit and never fit, but it not because of the network. It is a lot of times because of stuff they do that have nothing to do with calling the game. And when you have a lot of guys that are talented, someone is not going to get an opportunity. Even in the most competitive things there are always people that get passed over. So to act like it is only because something the "network" is doing nefariously is kind of sad if you believe that. I know more guys that are impatient or are just not as good as they think they are. There are probably more that do not really know their true talent or what others think of their talent.

Again it depends on where you are. Here there is not much of a network. You have to compete with many officials and get the eye of many people to get a shot. They are not all on the same page or think that the games are equal in stature. Or not all those people have the same amount of games available to them. And what many officials do is dismiss the places where the opportunities are best because they do not want to travel, or those games in a particular conference are not good enough for them. Or in many cases they are not a "girls" official or they are not a rural official. The amount of slots are not going to change, but I see so many officials not willing to do what it takes to get hired. I know when I started I was willing to go anywhere and work anything to be seen. So I am certainly not feeling your position if you think that goes on everywhere. Maybe that happens in other parts, but not here. I do not see many officials that do not deserve a shot here that do not get one. I do see many that are not deserving or not ready getting a shot, but it does not mean that everyone is on the same page with their talent either.

Peace

BNR,
Please refer me to the post you would like me to address. I scanned your prior posts to this point and am not sure what you are referring to.

I don't have time to hang out for days in a row here, just a little too busy and I catch up when I can.

My situation has nothing to do with getting games. I can get them, it has to do with not being happy with the local climate, from the ADs/principals on down.

Another take on this, and forgive me if someone has already mentioned it, is that because of the ability in my area for school districts to team up with one association over another, the assigner has a vested interest in making sure the school district is happy with the product and will assign people he knows will do a good job to those schools. Whether I agree with that philosophy or not, I understand it. And as Camron has said, I would likely do the same thing. Earning your assigner's trust is a very important thing. I do believe that you can break into that "ring of trust" if you work hard enough and have some patience.

+1
and... those officials can be trusted to call the game exactly as the coaches want.

Good job or the job the coaches want? If a coach shows his backside, will a crew in your area hesitate to whack/eject the coach because the coach has influence over the assignor?

Bingo. And I'm sure this is exactly what happened here.

From what I have seen (in my area only) I would say a fair job. And I mean fair as unbiased, not "less than good". I believe my current association has a lot of integrity compared with the association that lost these districts. I don't agree with how much power the coaches have as far as who officiates their games. I know during district play, coaches can simply scratch an assigned official because they don't know who they are. I certainly don't like it, but I am also not prepared to join the political ranks to do anything about it either, so I would just be a hypocrite if I complained about it. It is what it is.

But I also never liked how much power the coaches have in Portland when it comes to state tourney assignments. I assume this happens all over the place. The one thing I have asked my assigner to do is get me in front of some of these coaches in the pre-season and before district play so I have a better chance to not get scratched from a district game. Then it's up to me to do a good job.