Small Mechanics tips

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I have. I agree that belts are an official faux pas just about everywhere except my little corner of Connecticut (not sure about the rest of our beautiful state). Even here, belts are going the way of the dinosaur. I'm going to guess that less than 5% of us wear them, and almost no young officials wear them. I did see a colleague, a grizzled veteran, wear one in a state quarterfinal game last week. When I first started thirty-three years ago, going beltless was seen as a braggart college thing ("Look at me, I'm a college official"), and almost all of us strictly high school officials wore a belt. Over the years, the young whipper snappers who get onto our local board like to emulate the college guys that they see on television, and almost none choose to go with a belt, even though they can.

Bottom line. I've been wearing one for thirty-three years, and I like it. It has absolutely no effect on my rating, ranking, or the number, or level, of games that I am assigned. It has never been mentioned to me as a problem either verbally, or in writing, by my peers, by my interpreter, by my assigner, or at local, and state, high school (not college, I don't attend those) camps. I don't plan on officiating in any other part of the state, or anywhere else, for that matter, and I don't plan moving up to the college ranks. And finally, most importantly, I can. Black belts are allowed here. Belts, or beltless, are a non-issue here. We can no longer wear long sleeved striped shirts, with a bow tie, but we can wear black belts.

Didn't you say you never worked the playoffs? It would be one thing if you were the most accomplished official in your area, but according to what you have said here, you have not reached the top level in your area or state. And you are not a college guy that is turning down high school playoffs just to work at a higher level.

Also no one tells people you are not going to wear a black belt or else here. But when you are the only one and you stand out looking like a goof, that is not going to help you if all things are equal. It is simply not encouraged. There is no ban or prohibition as I have stated before. It is like showing up to a game dressed. You might be able to get away with that in certain situations, but it will hurt you if you do it to at the wrong setting.

Peace