National Summer Tournaments
 

I wanted to ask the old timers how important this National Summer Tournaments are to a newer officials growth and experience?

Do you still enjoy them and attend?

And what point in a young career should they go?

Could going to early be harmful to his growth or career?

How good to the ball compared to HS/Local AAU games?

Thanks for your patience on these questions.

What kind of tournament are you referencing that is not AAU or HS?

Peace

Lets say Adidas64 tournament in Vegas. Are teams attending considered AAU or HS?

Having officiated the Adidas Super 64, The Fab 48, and the Reebok Summer Championships (when it existed) in Las Vegas, there are different divisions for different levels of skill. Most of the teams are AAU but there are some tournaments that have a HS division.

If you are going to officiate these games during in a camp environment, if you are not ready for the high level of athleticism, speed, and physicality, your performance can hurt you. If you are going there to do games to just get paid and not get evaluated, enjoy the games and the city (as best you can).

What about the Nationals in Orlando? I got an invite to ref those at the end of the month, I'm beyond excited.

That's AAU. What age group?

Assuming 12th grade, since that's what's going on July 27th - 29th.

What would you like to know? Also, 3rd grade tourney will also be going on at the same time and I think an 11th grade DII tourney in the area also.

A lot of times the higher age group national tourneys are handled by officiating camps and I believe Curtis Shaw's camp will be going on during the last weekend in July.

I got the invitation from Joe Forte through my boss (for his? camp). I'm just really anticipating everything, been doing mechanics in the mirror everyday.

There's multiple tournaments with multiple ages going on in the same venue at the same time. Multiple assignors in two different buildings...8-10 courts going at once...basketball EVERYWHERE. I've been to a state evaluation camp there. Generally a very good quality of play from age 14 on up.

Ok, then you'll be working the big boys.

For now I'm busying myself reading every thread that I can and watching plays on Youtube.

The above post is accurate. There was also a tourney there during the same week called the Big Time (I think that it became the Reebok SC) which has since gone away.
I've done both the camp setting as well as the paid games there.

Be prepared for 'big boy' basketball. It will be above the rim if you are working 11th and/or 12th graders. If you've been officiating less than a year then you must have that look that Forte likes. Only thing that could hurt you is having something crazy happen in your games and missing obvious fouls.