Association Culture ...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

I don't think officials should be giving evaluations until they're working varsity games.

Around here, officials who work three seasons after their "cadet" season are eligible to work some varsity games. Maybe it won't be high level varsity games. Maybe it won't be a ton of varsity games, but they are considered eligible.

[Publius]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Around here, officials who work three seasons after their "cadet" season are eligible to work some varsity games. Maybe it won't be high level varsity games. Maybe it won't be a ton of varsity games, but they are considered eligible.

I'm starting to take nearly all the best young officials away from the old-guard association where I live in the sport I officiate. I occasionally see second-year guys who can already work rings around some of the old guard, and they work varsity--NOW. If they get the job done with white on their shoes, viva la blanca, I say. Tenure in and of itself doesn't mean a whole lot to me. If a second-year guy and a ten-year guy are approximately even in ability, they get about the same amount of work.

Don't misunderstand--nearly all of my top guys have a few notches in their belts. Experience matters, but it isn't all that matters. If a guy is ready at age 20, he's ready. Ask the California Angels and the Washington Nationals.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Publius

Nearly all of my top guys have a few notches in their belts.

I assume that the belts are all black.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Publius

I'm starting to take nearly all the best young officials away from the old-guard association where I live in the sport I officiate. I occasionally see second-year guys who can already work rings around some of the old guard, and they work varsity--NOW. If they get the job done with white on their shoes, viva la blanca, I say. Tenure in and of itself doesn't mean a whole lot to me. If a second-year guy and a ten-year guy are approximately even in ability, they get about the same amount of work.

Don't misunderstand--nearly all of my top guys have a few notches in their belts. Experience matters, but it isn't all that matters. If a guy is ready at age 20, he's ready. Ask the California Angels and the Washington Nationals.

There is the rare 20 year old who's ready, but you have to count experience somehow, too. I'm less interested in technical proficiency at times and more interested in how an official reacts when the s&@# hits the fan. I'm not saying that a more experienced official will handle situations better, but I've probably had to see more situations and deal with more crap than a second year official, and that should count for something.

Of course there's always the official that has one year of experience 25 times...

[SE Minnestoa Re]

Showers? Secure dressing rooms?

I don't know about these places. Places we go to get ready include a teachers' lounge where people are coming in and out all the time, a band room, the end of the bench, coach's offices and training rooms. A few places have good places to change but often that is only if it is a boy's game.

I work varsity only at generally smaller schools. My partner and I come dressed but with our regular winter outerwear on. Can't shower if there is no shower.

Do I care? Not really. I am there to work the game to help the players.

I like a lot that your members need to confirm games. Our regulations require it but unless there is an issue, I don't know if all the officials do it. I do find that younger people don't like rules as much as guys my age (late 50's) so our association tries to not be overburdensome.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by SE Minnestoa Re

Showers? Secure dressing rooms?

I don't know about these places. Places we go to get ready include a teachers' lounge where people are coming in and out all the time, a band room, the end of the bench, coach's offices and training rooms. A few places have good places to change but often that is only if it is a boy's game.

I work varsity only at generally smaller schools. My partner and I come dressed but with our regular winter outerwear on. Can't shower if there is no shower.

Do I care? Not really. I am there to work the game to help the players.

I like a lot that your members need to confirm games. Our regulations require it but unless there is an issue, I don't know if all the officials do it. I do find that younger people don't like rules as much as guys my age (late 50's) so our association tries to not be overburdensome.

Interesting. I've worked small town rural games, and we've always had a place to dress, even when there's been no shower. I can live with that, but I'd have a hard time accepting having to change my shoes on the end of the bench for a varsity game.

As for confirming games. We're supposed to as well, but the only way you'll get in trouble for not doing it is if someone doesn't show. At that point, it's good to have the email traffic, "Hey Bob, Billy didn't show up. But he said he was coming."

I prefer email for that reason (and others), but I'll make a phone call if I haven't heard back the day before a game. With the advent of Arbiter, I confess I'm not as good about confirming with the school as I am with getting a hold of partners.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

As for confirming games. We're supposed to as well, but the only way you'll get in trouble for not doing it is if someone doesn't show.

I confirm every game that I'm assigned to. On a few occasions I have received replies from athletic directors that go something like this: "Your email confirmation reminded me that we switched that game from 7:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. because of mid-year exams. I forgot to make the change with your assignment commissioner. I will contact him right away."

If I didn't confirm that game, and then no officials showed up for the 4:00 p.m. game, who do you think would get blamed? If you answered the athletic director, then your half right. My assignment commissioner would question me as to why I didn't confirm the game, so, in essence, I would share the blame with the athletic director.

It's not a steadfast rule that we always confirm games, but it's very strongly recommended. When things go smoothly, not confirming games isn't a big problem. But when things get screwed up, that's when our assignment commissioner gets really upset with us for not confirming games, and as all of you know, officials don't want to go around upsetting their assignment commissioners. It's not very healthy to do that. Am I right?

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by SE Minnestoa Re

...
I work varsity only at generally smaller schools. My partner and I come dressed but with our regular winter outerwear on. Can't shower if there is no shower.

Do I care? Not really. I am there to work the game to help the players.
....

This is something I do care about. I'm expected to show up at games (I only work varsity) dressed a certain way so I expect to be able to shower and leave the venue the same way, especially in winter temperatures. I sweat profusely and if the game has any type of fast-breaking my shirt is going to be soaked. If they aren't going to provide a shower then I should be able to show up in a sweat suit.

[zm1283]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

This is something I do care about. I'm expected to show up at games (I only work varsity) dressed a certain way so I expect to be able to shower and leave the venue the same way, especially in winter temperatures. I sweat profusely and if the game has any type of fast-breaking my shirt is going to be soaked. If they aren't going to provide a shower then I should be able to show up in a sweat suit.

We have showers in some places, and don't in a lot of other places. It just depends. Several of the bigger schools with newer gyms have dressing rooms they built in their gyms specifically for officials, which always have showers. Our dress code is very relaxed. We wear jeans and some even wear sweats.

We are strongly encouraged and reminded to confirm game times. We ride together to games 99 percent of the time so we always contact partners either way.

[DRJ1960]

Showers?

I've only worked Basketball for 5 seasons... only had ONE opportunity to shower after a game.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by SE Minnestoa Re

Showers? Secure dressing rooms?

100% of the time here. Some of course are better than others. It is greatly appreciated.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by grunewar

100% of the time here. Some of course are better than others. It is greatly appreciated.

68 of the 70 high schools we service here in my little corner of Connecticut have secure dressing areas, and showers. I don't get out of work early enough to work middle school games, but I understand that secure dressing areas, and showers, in middle schools are as rare as a World Series titles for the Chicago Cubs, and most officials come dressed in uniform, and expect to leave in uniform, for a long sweaty ride home.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

but I understand that secure dressing areas, and showers, in middle schools are as rare as a World Series titles for the Chicago Cubs, and most officials come dressed in uniform, and expect to leave in uniform, for a long sweaty ride home.

At this level we still always got a private, most times secure place to change. Showers were 50/50. I still never went to or from a game in uniform, regardless.

[Publius]

Originally Posted by Rich

There is the rare 20 year old who's ready, but you have to count experience somehow, too. I'm less interested in technical proficiency at times and more interested in how an official reacts when the s&@# hits the fan. I'm not saying that a more experienced official will handle situations better, but I've probably had to see more situations and deal with more crap than a second year official, and that should count for something.

Of course there's always the official that has one year of experience 25 times...

I agree almost 100%. Some veteran guys are great when the sh!% hits the fan. The problem is, they're the ones causing it to splatter. Generally speaking, you're absolutely right. The only point I'm making is that guys who are ready shouldn't be held back because they haven't worked some arbitrary number of years. Those guys are sometimes not 20, but 30 and cops or retail store managers with a fabulolus resume when it comes to dealing with sh!%. I don't make them wait if they demonstrate proficiency, and consequently, the cream of the newby crop wants to work for me.

I like giving able young guys opportunities. It's great having 25-year-olds with five years of experience dealing with situations. They don't become proficient by watching. I think any association that has a policy of making every official wait X number of years before they can get varsity assignments ought to revisit that policy.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Publius

I agree almost 100%. Some veteran guys are great when the sh!% hits the fan. The problem is, they're the ones causing it to splatter. Generally speaking, you're absolutely right. The only point I'm making is that guys who are ready shouldn't be held back because they haven't worked some arbitrary number of years. Those guys are sometimes not 20, but 30 and cops or retail store managers with a fabulolus resume when it comes to dealing with sh!%. I don't make them wait if they demonstrate proficiency, and consequently, the cream of the newby crop wants to work for me.

I like giving able young guys opportunities. It's great having 25-year-olds with five years of experience dealing with situations. They don't become proficient by watching. I think any association that has a policy of making every official wait X number of years before they can get varsity assignments ought to revisit that policy.

We agree 100%.

I also think that some people (for whatever reason) are rushed into assignments they aren't ready for. Sometimes there is some other factor involved that jumps them over a bunch of officials that have been waiting for their opportunity for no good reason, too. Every situation is different.