A true Newbie development

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What are your thoughts? I had a guy who is going to start officiating this coming season ask for my opinion about camps for him. You probably need a little info. First, he never played a sport but loves basketball, wants to officiate a sport and basketball fits into his schedule best. In Texas officials belong to chapters which cover schools in a specific geographic area. The chapters have an Assignment Secretary and Evaluation Committee responsible for getting officials into games and determining what they are capable of handling. Most of the chapters in this area have “schools” that start about 10 weeks before the seasons and cover the rules, areas of responsibilities, mechanics, etc.

With that understanding, my advice was for him to not pay to attend a camp this summer. Primarily because there are none that are free remaining and only one that will include two-man work. But even if that was not true, I think a truly green newbie should go through one of those schools and spend his/her first season working the freshman and junior high games. Letting the evaluation committee watch them work, getting feedback on the basics and finding out if this is something they really want to do. Then, their first off-season they can attend a two-man camp or two that will put them on the floor with some of the bigger and better local program summer teams. After their second season they should be ready for some three-man exposure in one of the many camps in this area. One in particular is great for that as they focus on official with no three-man experience.

I would welcome your ideas on a “development program” so to speak.