My local chapter is trying to find new ways to recruit guys into officiating football for next year. Does anyone have any suggestions on where/how we can recruit?

Any ideas about what other chapters are doing to increase membership?

Contact your local colleges. They may have some people, not playing FB, who are interested. Especially PE Majors. Put an ad in the local papers.

Bob

The Officials Quarterly from this quarter that is published by the Federation had an article about "top dow" recruiting. This means finding officials in other sports and asking them if they are interested in doing something else. Ex. A basketball only official also working football, or a baseball umpire adding basketball. The idea is that they have experience with some of the intangibles, communciation, mechanics, and rule book lingo. Stuff inexperienced officials struggle learning.

we had a fairly good membership drive at arena football games last year. we set up a table and gave out information packages to those who were interested.

What did you have in the information packages?

it had some literature on becoming an official (i think we got from referee mag), a letter from our association president, and signup forms. this was not really the recruiting tool. talking to these guys was the best tool. some people just don't know how to go about being an official. i know i was hooked after a friend of mine took me to a game and i sat in the locker room during a pregame. i was very excited to see i found a group of guys that shared the love of the game at the same level that i did.

thats awesome! I started with flag football then pop-warner (for the cash). Then an assignor asked me if I wanted to try sub-varsity. At that level we also held the chains for the varsity game. When I held the chains I would call the referee and ask if I could be at the pregame meeting. After that like you I was hooked! And at that time I said I want to be a WH! In my second year certified I became a WH. It hasn't been an easy road but it has been fun and great expierence!