Help a new official with his first bag?

[rekent]

Up to this point I have no needed to have a "real" official's bag. That has changed and now things are becoming more professional. From reading posts here, it is apparently quite taboo to arrive at the venue dressed (does that include things like all day AAU tournaments?) so

1) Do you all basically arrive at the venue with a small suitcase? Something like a large duffle or small rolling carry-on type bag?

I remember a thread several weeks ago with expansive lists of what the veterans have in bags, but some seemed possibly unnecessary for a new young guy, so

2) What would you recommend I have? I was thinking 2 pair of shoes, 2 pants, 2 shirts, jacket, all the misc. undershirt, socks etc, handful of whistles, official's manual, rule and case books. Anything else that would be a good idea?

I want to make sure I have everything that is recommended/would be needed, but I don't want to be ridiculous and go in with something huge and unnecessary because of inexperience.

[Mark Padgett]

One word - MEDS!

[rekent]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

One word - MEDS!

Haha! Luckily I do not yet need to take the Advil/Aleve/Tylenol/Ibuprofen after games...

[JugglingReferee]

Might I suggest the travel packages of meds anyways. Around my area, they have a container that looks like lip balm, but it contains about 8 pills. Even if you don't need them often, your partner will love it if you have a backup!

[Bad Zebra]

The small carry-on type suitcase wth wheels and telescopic handle seems to be the norm in Florida.

I would include a small towel, a tube of Biofreeze and a small bottle of hand sanitizer. Also maybe a a lint roller and some lifesavers. Welcome to the pro ranks and enjoy!

[bob jenkins]

Some of that is "backup" and just can be kept in a separate small bag in your car. You don't (well, I don't) want to be lugging around a second pair of shoes all season "just in case" I need them.

[ref3808]

You are correct, there are multiple posts on the forum about what to put in your bag.

In these parts generally you dress at the site for HS games. There are a couple of high schools however where the room for officials is so poor (or dirty) that guys show up pretty much dressed for the game.


For all other levels including AAU there generally is not a place for officials to change so basically you show up dressed so that you only have to pull on your shirt, change your shoes and get on the court. I work a weekend youth league where that's also the practice. A lot of the schools will only open the gym and a restroom and not any other spaces.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Some of that is "backup" and just can be kept in a separate small bag in your car. You don't (well, I don't) want to be lugging around a second pair of shoes all season "just in case" I need them.

Agreed. I can't imagine a situation where you would need to haul a second pair of shoes into the gym, if you have a quality pair of primary shoes.

A second pair of slacks or shirt can come in handy.

Originally Posted by ref3808

In these parts generally you dress at the site for HS games. There are a couple of high schools however where the room for officials is so poor (or dirty) that guys show up pretty much dressed for the game.

For all other levels including AAU there generally is not a place for officials to change so basically you show up dressed so that you only have to pull on your shirt, change your shoes and get on the court. I work a weekend youth league where that's also the practice. A lot of the schools will only open the gym and a restroom and not any other spaces.

Here, we are not allowed to show up for a varsity game already dressed. So a bag of some type is necessary. Most JV and MS guys come straight from work, so they have to change on site as well.

For AAU, rec or other games, that's a personal preference. Unless I have somewhere to go AFTER the games, I usually go dressed and do not take a change of clothes. And of course, whether there's somewhere to change is an issue as well. If you're going to be at a site all day, it's prolly a good idea to take a bag with extra clothing. Better to stay fresh.

I've always carried a leather duffle but have changed recently to a Pullman. I actually went a size larger than the basic size most guys use. Didn't want it to be packed to tightly.

On a separate note, if you're now changing on site, you need to think about what you wear to the site. For example, we are not allowed to wear jeans to a game. Business casual is required. I would check local requirements.

[ODog]

If you're required to have completed a concussion "course" to officiate in your state, always leave that printout in your bag.

ALWAYS have your planner/schedule book/board directory with you ... unless you're exclusively electronic w/all that.

A few pencils come in handy, especially on the AAU circuit, where teams pretend they don't realize they're often required to provide a scorekeeper, and writing implements aren't nearly as ever-present as they should be.

I personally dig shoe bags, too, because then you can throw them in there w/o having to worry what clothes they're touching. One for each sneaker.