Association Culture ...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Board XXX officials are expected to confirm their games. The email should state the gender, level, site, day, date, and time of the game, along with one’s contact information, sent to both the school, and to one’s partner. A confirmation, emailed in this manner, looks professional, and assures everyone that the officials have been properly assigned for the game.

Officials should leave the game site together. Even in this day in age when everyone has a cell phone, and many have some type of “road assistance”, it’s not fun sitting in a cold car, in a lonely parking lot, with a dead battery, or a flat tire, waiting for help to arrive.

Anybody have any local customs regarding confirming games, or leaving the site together.

I don't drive away until I see my partner's headlights go on after he starts his car. Then I watch my rear view mirror to make sure he gets off to a good start. That's how I was taught over thirty years ago. Of course, that was before the cell phone was invented.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Anybody have any local customs regarding confirming games, or leaving the site together.

I don't drive away until I see my partner's headlights go on after he starts his car. Then I watch my rear view mirror to make sure he gets off to a good start. That's how I was taught over thirty years ago. Of course, that was before the cell phone was invented.

I will always confirm my games via email at least 48 hrs in advance and ensure I have my P's cell phone numbers with me just in case. On a few occasions this has helped me tremendously.

While we will walk out of the venue together after the game, once we get to our cars, that's it for me (unless we're going for a meal).

[Adam]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

That's the problem. It doesn't work here; anymore. It used to work here, until about five, or ten, years ago, and then all our local customs seemed to "go out the window".

I observed a young official work a game with shoes that were almost as much white, as black. I mentioned it to him after his game. He explained to me that the black and whites were not his regular pair, and that he almost always wore all black shoes. The next time I observed him, he had on the same black and white shoes. I've also observed young officials show up for a game in street clothes consisting of torn sneakers, dirty, beat-up jeans, and a T-shirt, certainly not business casual.

Maybe it's time you revisit some local customs and decide which ones are worth standing for and which should go. Also, if you're going to get upset when people refuse to comply, it may be best to add it to written expectations rather than "customs."

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Maybe it's time you revisit some local customs and decide which ones are worth standing for and which should go. Also, if you're going to get upset when people refuse to comply, it may be best to add it to written expectations rather than "customs."

I agree. I have no desire to watch 3/4 of a JV game every time I'm onside to work a varsity contest. If a JV official wants me to evaluate him, he should ask me and I would happily do so.

Otherwise, we arrive at 6:30 for a 7:30 start and about half the time I go straight to the locker room to warm up and dress. Depending on the game and the officials I may watch a quarter of the JV game, but that's up to me.

Perhaps your local customs are too onerous and it's time to figure out what's really important. Many people have jobs and need to stay at the office as long as they can. This is an avocation, which is one step up from a hobby, for many people.

[Freddy]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Anybody have any local customs regarding confirming games . . .

Yes, and this might be helpfully applicable in your coastal area as well. Several years ago our assigner got the request from the AD's that only the R confirm to the school during the week prior to a contest. Especially with three-man (as in "human" not as in "anti-woman") crews, the AD's were getting triple the number of necessary emails clogging their busy boxes. So now it is up to the two U's to confirm to the R who then singularly confirms the crew to the AD.
Works well now.
Unless one of the crew is still a Luddite . . .

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Anybody have any local customs regarding confirming games, or leaving the site together.

I don't drive away until I see my partner's headlights go on after he starts his car. Then I watch my rear view mirror to make sure he gets off to a good start. That's how I was taught over thirty years ago. Of course, that was before the cell phone was invented.

We are supposed to confirm the games, but it is really up to each individual how they do this specifically.

Our state has every school number and Athletic Office Personnel listed. I tend to call the Administrative Assistant for each school as they are easier to get in contact with than the AD. Athletic Directors tend to be faculty members that either teach or have other responsibilities, so I want to speak to the Administrative Assistant as they have everything in front of them and can tell any official what they need to know about attending a game. I do not like email as email tends to get answered in someone's own time. I also like to call the AA the day before or the day of based on the weather or other factors that could influence game situations.

Peace

[Freddy]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I also like to call the AA the day before or the day of based on the weather or other factors that could influence game situations.

"Hi, my name is _____________, and I'm a basketball official . . ."

"Hi, _____________!"

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

if you're going to get upset when people refuse to comply, it may be best to add it to written expectations rather than "customs."

Thus the purpose of me being asked to write this article for our local newsletter. Our local board got too big, too quick, and customs somehow didn't get passed down from "father to son".

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Maybe it's time you revisit some local customs and decide which ones are worth standing for and which should go.

One "custom" that can't go, without major revisions in our rating, and ranking, process, is the "custom" of varsity officials arriving early to observe the junior varsity game, and junior varsity officials sticking around to observe the varsity game. Each official at the site (usually four here in Connecticut) is responsible to evaluate, and rate, the other officials at the site. It's pretty difficult to evaluate and rate when you don't observe an official.

Regarding the other customs, confirming games, business casual dress, proper uniform, leaving site together, etc., in my personal opinion, and in the opinion of our local leadership, those are worth keeping. I know that the economy is bad, and I know that more than just a few officials think of officiating as a supplemental part time job, but as a thirty-plus year veteran, who is very proud of our local board, I just don't like the "get in, get out, get paid" attitude. In my personal opinion, basketball officiating, particularly on the high school level, should be more than just "get in, get out, get paid". Obviously some of our new guys don't agree with me.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

One "custom" that can't go, without major revisions in our rating, and ranking, process, is the "custom" of varsity officials arriving early to observe the junior varsity game, and junior varsity officials sticking around to observe the varsity game. Each official at the site (usually four here in Connecticut) is responsible to evaluate, and rate, the other officials at the site. It's pretty difficult to evaluate and rate when you don't observe an official.

We are considering some major changes in our rating system. We are considering not allowing new junior varsity officials (first year, second year, maybe third year) to rate varsity officials. However, they should probably stick around to observe the varsity guys, even if they don't have to rate them, they might learn something.

[Freddy]

Seems, from what you're saying about yourself as an association, your group needs to analyze what essential things there are about which veterans are aware by virtue of "tribal knowledge" and how newbies come to acquire that body of knowledge bit-by-bit over a long--perhaps too long--a period of time.
Locally I'm becoming aware that new inductees simply don't know what's expected of them unless oriented in some way by someone.
Many veterans consider the need to convey such simple expectations ridiculous because, after all, they already know that themselves. Truth be told, it takes a long time and a lots of learning opportunities for "tribal knowledge" to take full hold in a newer person. Doing what you're doing certainly goes a long way to overcome that.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Freddy

Your group needs to analyze what essential things there are about which veterans are aware by virtue of "tribal knowledge" and how newbies come to acquire that body of knowledge bit-by-bit over a long period of time.

Our problem is that we got too big, too fast. We went from a group of about 200 plus guys, mostly veterans, to a group of more than 325 guys (merger with another board, several really big cadet classes), mostly new guys. Our "my way or the highway" leaders (dictators) left, or died, and unwritten rules got "lost in the wind".

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Our problem is that we got too big, too fast. We went from a group of about 200 plus guys, mostly veterans, to a group of more than 325 guys (merger with another board, several really big cadet classes), mostly new guys. Our "my way or the highway" leaders (dictators) left, or died, and unwritten rules got "lost in the wind".

Maybe that's for the better. Step back and consider if the old guard (which you're a part of) could better serve your officials by backing off some of those unneeded rules.

I guarantee you if I had to show up for 5:50PM to watch the entire JV game, I'd likely not be working. I have a day job, after all.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Rich

Backing off some of those unneeded rules. I guarantee you if I had to show up for 5:50PM to watch the entire JV game ...

I can guarantee that the "custom" of a varsity official showing up for the second period of the junior varsity game will never change (Note: It has never been a requirement to show up for the entire junior varsity game, although many of us do so voluntarily). Varsity officials are expected to evaluate, critique, and rate, subvarsity officials. That's how subvarsity officials improve, and move up the ranks, or in some cases, always remain subvarsity officials, even getting really bad subvarsity schedules. That's the basis of our local rating, and ranking, system, which dictates the level, and number, of games one is assigned.

Rich: I really didn't want this thread to go in this direction, but I'm curious. Outside of showing up, or staying, to watch the other end of the doubleheader, what other "customs" do you find unneeded (confirm games, business casual, proper uniforms, not showing up in uniform, not leaving in uniform, leavng site together, etc.)? I'm not looking to start a debate here (to each his own), I'm just curious.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I can guarantee that the "custom" of a varsity official showing up for the second period of the junior varsity game will never change (Note: It has never been a requirement to show up for the entire junior varsity game, although many of us do so voluntarily). Varsity officials are expected to evaluate, critique, and rate, subvarsity officials. That's how subvarsity officials improve, and move up the ranks, or in some cases, always remain subvarsity officials, even getting really bad subvarsity schedules. That's the basis of our local rating, and ranking, system, which dictates the level, and number, of games one is assigned.

Don't you guys have trainings, meetings or camps? There are a lot of ways to get better or to be evaluated as officials than the game they are working on a particular night. Heck the officials could stay and watch the varsity game and then ask questions and learn from watching. You have mentioned ratings and I am confused why these ratings matter so much? You mean to say if I were a varsity official and saw someone that I felt could do that job or that I saw work I would gladly work with them in the future, my rating is the only thing that matters? I guess I am not understanding why the ratings are more important than some gut about who has the stuff and who does not.

Peace