A true Newbie development

[Moosie74]

I don't think that going to a camp without having called a game is a good idea.

I've been with my association for 2 years and just went to my first camp this weekend.

I work primarily middle school and junior varsity and those are decent training grounds for the basics but I work with a few "paycheck" officials or lesser talented veterans and that stunts my development.

I learned more in 3 days at camp than I have in 2 seasons but it was not the basics but the next things up.

Some of the instruction we got was a repeat of the cadet classes but in those classes it was all chalk and talk and no court time. We did the lecture in camp and then called games.

As a group of 2nd and 3rd year officials mostly we all started calling those things we either let go or weren't sure of mostly because we had a clinician in the area giving us feedback and validating what we did.

In a weekend I started calling throw-in and lane violations, block/charge (2), and my first technical for unsporting behavior on a coach.

The rest of the campers expect their partner to be in the proper place or at least near it, they expect their partner to cover his/her own PCA and get those shared areas in 2 person.

A green rookie without calling any games is not going to be comfortable doing it. Rookies go looking for traveling and pushing fouls because those are fairly easy to see.

A camp throws a lot of concepts at a person in a short time. To me it's better to do the classroom work, call games for a couple of years and then go to a camp and get the next level stuff on the belt instead of the basics.

[JRutledge]

What are some of you going to do during the season when you work with guys that have no game experience? And having game experience does not mean you are so much more competent and understanding of mechanics or rules. I know if someone works lower level games will often work with very new or sometimes brand new officials.

I still do not get the idea that somehow at camp that is going to change drastically from the regular season except for you have instructors. As I have said before, I have seen 2 or 3 year officials not know as much as younger officials in many situations. It really comes down to what you are willing to do to get better and I still see no problem with someone being exposed to a camp setting as their first officiating experience. Where else are you going to get someone to walk you through what you are supposed to do?

Peace

[jeschmit]

Here's the way I see it... You get out of camp what you expect to get out of it. If a guy is going having never blown a whistle before, he should probably be expecting to understand how to blow the whistle properly and basic court coverage. I was a teacher at a camp last summer where a kid came in having never refereed a game in his life. We went over where to stand, how to properly blow his whistle, and to get his hand or fist in the air when he has a call. That's it. I didn't worry about judgement or mechanics... just the extreme basics.

However, if he's thrown into a middle school game without any of that experience at a camp setting (with someone right behind him telling him where to go and what to do), he'll look like even more of a doofus...

My advice to your friend would be, if you have the time and money to go to a camp, go to it! Be up front with the clinicians, and tell them that you've never blown a whistle before and you might like some help with the basics. Most clinicians will be more than willing to help in that way, and some will even run the court with them.

Camp is the best place to try new things, whether it be learning how to referee, or a more advanced philosophy that you're trying out. Either way, it's camp. It's a lot better to figure it out then, than try and figure it out when you have players and coaches trying to win in the regular season.

[BatteryPowered]

Originally Posted by jeschmit

Here's the way I see it... You get out of camp what you expect to get out of it. If a guy is going having never blown a whistle before, he should probably be expecting to understand how to blow the whistle properly and basic court coverage. I was a teacher at a camp last summer where a kid came in having never refereed a game in his life. We went over where to stand, how to properly blow his whistle, and to get his hand or fist in the air when he has a call. That's it. I didn't worry about judgement or mechanics... just the extreme basics.

However, if he's thrown into a middle school game without any of that experience at a camp setting (with someone right behind him telling him where to go and what to do), he'll look like even more of a doofus...

My advice to your friend would be, if you have the time and money to go to a camp, go to it! Be up front with the clinicians, and tell them that you've never blown a whistle before and you might like some help with the basics. Most clinicians will be more than willing to help in that way, and some will even run the court with them.

Camp is the best place to try new things, whether it be learning how to referee, or a more advanced philosophy that you're trying out. Either way, it's camp. It's a lot better to figure it out then, than try and figure it out when you have players and coaches trying to win in the regular season.

That is exactly what is covered in the "school" put on by most of the chapters in this area.

[jeschmit]

Originally Posted by BatteryPowered

That is exactly what is covered in the "school" put on by most of the chapters in this area.

I'm guessing this is a regional thing, cause I've never heard of school for officials. There's clinics or camps and that's about it in my area.

If there's an option for that instead of an outright camp, I'd agree with you there. In my area, I'd have to suggest a camp or clinic to learn these things.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by jeschmit

I'm guessing this is a regional thing, cause I've never heard of school for officials. There's clinics or camps and that's about it in my area.

If there's an option for that instead of an outright camp, I'd agree with you there. In my area, I'd have to suggest a camp or clinic to learn these things.

The problem with this discussion honestly. Most of these things about when and how guys work games or get training is so very regional. Even in Illinois it is different how you get games in different parts of the state.

Peace

My friend and I were discussing camps we had gone to and he mentioned that he had worked a game at camp with a guy who had never blown a whistle. The guy just paid and showed up, had never worked 2-man, and was immediately thrown into a 3-man game. I asked my friend how it went, and asked if he felt he received enough attention even with the new guy on the court. He said it was a great experience to practice leadership and to help the new guy learn the right way. He also said that the clinicians paid as much attention to him as the new guy, which was one of my concerns.

Originally Posted by jeschmit

I'm guessing this is a regional thing, cause I've never heard of school for officials. There's clinics or camps and that's about it in my area.

If there's an option for that instead of an outright camp, I'd agree with you there. In my area, I'd have to suggest a camp or clinic to learn these things.

The thing I suggest for a new guy is attending association meetings. I went to two or three meetings, met the leadership, and heard what they talked about. The leaders suggested a kids league where I could start, told me where I could buy gear locally, and explained how the five-second count replaces the shot clock. My association does have a class for new guys, but it was a few weeks before I started attending meetings. I still think that going to a camp right off the bat is not the best, because you can learn so much by attending a few association meetings.

[BatteryPowered]

Officials in Texas belong to Chapters...and they are affiliated with either the UIL or TASO (Texas Association of Sports Officials)...last time I asked there is still a spitting contest between the two organizations for control.

I used the term "school" as it best describes the set-up. The chapter I belonged to called it New Official Training. It starts the Wednesday after labor day and ends during the week of scrimmages. These officials work a couple of sets of scrimmages as a group. They rotate off the floor after each quarter so one of the many experienced officials observing can go over a few things with them before they get back on the floor. All of this is at no charge for the new officials.

Once the Chapter Meetings start, the new officials have a break-out session to discuss rules questions and situations that have come up during the games.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

What are some of you going to do during the season when you work with guys that have no game experience?

Teach them. Just like the other 1000 times I've worked with guys that have no game experience.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Teach them. Just like the other 1000 times I've worked with guys that have no game experience.

I agree. But some suggest as if they only work with people that know what they are doing.

Peace