Good start to the season

[JerryLundagard]

Originally Posted by Rich

4 games in -- another tonight and another tomorrow. First 6 games of the season are BV.

This is my last season working girls games -- we get contracted out over a year in advance and I decided after last season to only take boys games going forward. Will probably drop from 50+ to 30-35 or so games next year, but that's something that I wanted anyway.

Why the drop? Will certain assignors stop using you because you won't take girls games?

[Adam]

Originally Posted by JerryLundagard

Why the drop? Will certain assignors stop using you because you won't take girls games?

I believe where Rich works, there are a lot of schools that have double headers (B/G V) and officials are contracted to work both (rural schools). Refusing to work one side means you don't work at that school (or in that conference).

[Mrcrash3]

I quite Jealous of all of the Forum Members: No Games For You...
I am recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. I can only watch.
I start my P.T. today. I have been in pain since late September. Very bad arthritis. I might be able to do grade school games in late Jan or Feb. or
I might have to hang up the whistle. My next step, if the knee acts up again
is...wait for it... Knee replacement surgery hooray!

[grunewar]

Mrcrash3 - many of us here have had medical issues over the years, and specifically knee surgery, and have made successful comebacks (me included).

I wish you a full and speedy recovery.

Good luck.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Adam

I believe where Rich works, there are a lot of schools that have double headers (B/G V) and officials are contracted to work both (rural schools). Refusing to work one side means you don't work at that school (or in that conference).

Actually, we have no doubleheaders. Commissioners typically assign both the boys and girls sides here -- we have no association or central assignor.

(If there were DHes here, it would have to be JV/V DHes and that simply doesn't happen either. We drove over an hour to our game and the home school hires FR/JV guys directly and usually find local guys who get licensed but have no desire to work anything but FR/JV games at the local schools. Last night there were freshman and JV games going on when I arrived. Both freshman officials wore Adidas wind pants and white sneakers with Byron collar shirts. One of the JV officials wore a Byron collar shirt. Amazing.)

If I get 8 games from a commissioner (4GV / 4BV), I'll just get the 4BV from that assignor. And there will be one or two that will say that I need to work both or get none -- and that's OK.

So I expect things to drop in half -- the one upside is that I'll be open and available to take games on off days -- I'm frequently asked to fill-in and people are always looking for replacements. Now I'll be available more often and will be able to choose what I work those dates.

Main thing for me is I simply don't enjoy the girls games, for various reasons. And with me working 120 baseball games a year (HS/college/LL/summer) and HS/college football, something had to give. I'll let you know if I regret this decision next season.

That said, I'm feeling about as fresh I can right now and I only had a week off between football and basketball. Talk to me in February.

[JerryLundagard]

Originally Posted by Rich

Actually, we have no doubleheaders. Commissioners typically assign both the boys and girls sides here -- we have no association or central assignor.

(If there were DHes here, it would have to be JV/V DHes and that simply doesn't happen either. We drove over an hour to our game and the home school hires FR/JV guys directly and usually find local guys who get licensed but have no desire to work anything but FR/JV games at the local schools. Last night there were freshman and JV games going on when I arrived. Both freshman officials wore Adidas wind pants and white sneakers with Byron collar shirts. One of the JV officials wore a Byron collar shirt. Amazing.)

That is so true. I went to high school in Wisconsin and my social studies teacher called about 75% of my JV games. Never thought anything about it at the time. However now that I am reffing and out of the area I find it hard to believe that system is in place.

Around here lower level games are the starting point to most careers. How do the young guys get there start in Wisconsin?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by JerryLundagard

That is so true. I went to high school in Wisconsin and my social studies teacher called about 75% of my JV games. Never thought anything about it at the time. However now that I am reffing and out of the area I find it hard to believe that system is in place.

Around here lower level games are the starting point to most careers. How do the young guys get there start in Wisconsin?

They move to Southern California and work college games right away.

Actually, the small percentage that want to get good typically work hard, network through an association, and work varsity games pretty quickly.

If I wanted to never drive more than 10 minutes, I could probably work every FR and JV game at the closest two or three schools. And be out of there by 7PM every night.