Hello everyone,
Most of you dont know me, my name is Patrick. I am 17 years old and reside in NJ. I am the UIC umpire for my recreational baseball league (5 years umping) and 3 years of 7-8th grade basketball....
I am really interested in football. Does anyone know if there are any leagues that look for "younger officials?". "PopWarner" uses "varsity" officials. I was just wondering. There are only 2 sports I love, baseball & football. When our family watches either of the two sports, they call me the "book of rules". The only thing i would read (& still read :) ) are rule books. With my umpire training I have developed a hard shell for coaches & hecklers - I dont even hear it any more.
So is there any way I could "see some action" on the field? Anyone know of any idea's?

Thanks

REPLY: Pat...good to hear from another member of the Garden State. I'm a member of the NJ Football Officials Association (north Jersey chapter) and can probably get you "connected." Where are you from? Send me an e-mail. ([email protected])

I'm sure Bob will(or has) set you up but just because varsity officials work the pop warner doesn't mean you can't join them. You wouldn't get to work varsity/hs games because you're not even out of hs yet, but this also gets you in the door and once you do get out of hs you may beable to get hs games right away. :) good luck.

I don't know if chain gangs are assigned by the schools or the associations in your area. But that can be a good way to get on the field, observe officials at work, and be part of the game.

Working a chain gang would be good. If you can't join the loccal association find on of the crew chiefs who will let you tag along with the crew. Go to the games with them, sit in on the pre-game. Sideline during the game. After the game. May not get to go to the very after game....
Take a notepad with you to write down anything you want to ask about later.
Do this even if you get in and start working junior games.

If you are 18 you can join us!
 

I was reading our association's bylaws the other day and I noticed that we have a minimum age requirement of 18 years and older. I did not join until I was 33 so I wasted 15 good years that I could have spent honing my skills.

Jerry Markbreit, a famous former NFL official, got his start refereeing intramural flag football games while he was a student in college.

The main thing is to just start: join your local association, go to meetings, and take it from there.

Thank you all for your help. Bob has invited me to accompany his crew to a pre-season scrimmage and i am greatful for that. I umpire baseball & ref basketball but my favorite sport is football. In my town you need to be elected by the town hall to be on the chain crew for any High School football sport (Var, JF, Fresh.) **(It is all politics - but thats life and im learning to deal with that).
Everything here is politics, I dont even have my eagle scout badge yet because of politics - and i know of some baseball umpires that wont be invited back due to politics.
Anything to get me on the field, in a pregame, running the clock, recording penalties (yes, i know that these are officials jobs) but I would be willing to do anything; just to see what it is like to be on a h.s. field and referee.
Thank you all for your advice.
In the future I hope to be standing on the same field as you guys.
Thanks Again

Politics will always be politics.
 

Politics are apart of anything in life and will always be. That does not mean it is a bad thing, it is just how you look at it. Learn any system you are working with, and then work that system to the best of your advantages. All politics is in the first place, is just knowing what to do and knowing what not to do. That can be vastly different based on the people in your area. Do not be discouraged because a couple of people got in trouble for their actions. They might have done something that was against the rules and they blame the political structure, rather than themselves for their own actions. More often folks use "politics" as an excuse for not working hard or doing what others do to be successful.

Peace