Officiating Articles
 

Just wanted to share a couple of articles from today's newspaper (Times-Picayune, New Orleans).

http://www.nola.com/sports/t-p/index...710.xml&coll=1

http://www.nola.com/sports/t-p/index...710.xml&coll=1

Hidden within the article is a telling comment that shows just how little some athletic administrators really understand our avocation. The comment by Mac Chauvin:

"Times have changed. People have changed. We're not getting the quantity of people that we used to get. We're not getting the quality of people that we used to get. We used to get doctors and lawyers and those type of (professional) people. We're not getting those people any more. " "I hope the pay raise will help us get the numbers up. If the numbers are up, then maybe we can get some quality people."
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So if you are not a doctor or lawyer you are not a "quality" person? And does anyone think this pay raise is near enough money to attract someone from those professions if the only draw is the cash????

And just what makes him think that doctors and lawyers are quality people?

It's not your profession that makes you a good official. It's how well you know your mechanics, how hard you work on the field, and how well you know the rules.
My local association does not have any doctor's or lawyers in its membership, but I'd say that we have many high quality officials. In my 11 years officiating, I've seen 4 of our members make their way to the proffesional level. None of them are doctors or lawyers. 3 are cops, and 1 is a University Professor.
Maybe Mr. Chauvin should step on the field himself, and see what it's like. If he did, I'm sure he would respect officials a lot more. Last week, at a professional pre-season game, a former player decided to step on the field to see what it was like. It seems like he appreciates the job much more now. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/news_story/?ID=211602&hubname=cfl

First pay increase in 12 years !!!???
I'm amazed they kept anyone, considering increased costs in equipment/uniforms and gasoline to travel to meetings and games !
In New York we got regular increases in fees as they were "tied to" the
pay of teachers. I'm not sure of any connection like that here in Florida
--but it seems that fee increases are fairly regular since I've been down here.
I still maintain that officials fees are low and that higher fees would
increase our quantity and therefore give associations more power to
develop quality. All too many sport's official organizations are stuck putting
"bodies" on the field.

I didn't necessarily get offended by that comment by Mac Chauvin, but I just wanted to clarify who he is. Chauvin is not just any athletic administrator, he is assistant commissioner of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association and one of his major responsibilities is to coordinate the officials in the state. Basically he is the top official in Louisiana.

If you're doing it for the money, you're doing it for the wrong reasons. I do it for the love of the game, and the friendships I've made over 11 seasons. I know it sounds cheesy, but it's true. Granted, it is nice to get a little reward for your time;) . Especially when you consider gas prices:eek: .
In my local association, we usually see a pay increase every 2 years. Our Executive sits down with every league that we work games for, and "negotiates" our "wages". We bill the leagues, and then our local association uses that money to pay us in December, which then gets spent on Christmas presents. Last year I earned over $1000.00 before deductions (membership dues, equipment purchases, etc.)

REPLY: All the more reason that Mr. Chauvin should have thought about making such a comment and realized that it would offend the many of us non-doctor/lawyer officials. If such an official from my own state made a similar comment, I would be equally offended.

It's really ironic that the person who made the comment insinuating that doctors and lawyers are a better class of people would actually be named Chauvin. His comment was totally chauvinistic! Mac must take after one of his distant relatives for whom the term is named.

He is (or was) on the Fed hoops rules committee and worked hoops in the SEC (probably among others) as late as the early '90s. So he's a former working official.

I think some of you guys are being a bit over sensitive on his point. What I think he's saying is that (traditional) professional types have a different view of their time than others. It isn't that my time as a lawyer is more important than your time as a teacher or salesperson, or whatever. But its that I put a specific value on my time by the hour for my livelihood. Teachers and others don't do that specifically. so when we see we're paid $45 for two games that will take 3 hours, we immediately see $15 an hour when we charge, say, 10 times that much in our work. Teachers, for example, see $45, knowing their job is over for the day since school is out. They compare it to what they might earn working some other part time job. Thus, the pay rate is analyzed a lot more by professional types than it may be by folks in other vocations.

With that said, I need to get back to work!

As a lawyer who has called ball for three years now, I feel most officials should feel offended by this guy's comments. What a horrible choice of words for the "top official" in the state.

I work games with guys who work in factories and other blue collar occupations, and I try to go out of my way to not act like I'm something better than them. Because I'm not. I don't even tell them what I do for a living unless they ask.

If you're dedicated to your sport(s), try to learn the rules/mechanics and try to act professional while wearing the uniform, you have what it takes to be a good official, no matter what college degrees you may possess.

Those pay increases put them just a little below what we offer here in Georgia. The pay's not going to pay all of your bills, but it is a quality second income.

The days of "doing it for love of the game" are over. The middle class isn't doing that well, and often times they do it because they need the money. I don't have any problem with this, as long as it doesn't interfere with the job they do on the field/court.

I know it may not be a popular idea, but one area to concentrate recruiting is on college campuses. I know I began officiating at the intramural fields, and that's where I learned how to officiate. There are wealths of young bodies out there that have the extra time, are often available in the afternoons when games are being played (while the older officials are at their 'real' jobs), and the money made for college students has a lot more influence on their budgets than it does on a grown man providing for a family.

I know it's a sore subject, because I know I've received resentment from the experienced officials when they see a 21 year old kid walking up to call a game with them. But I know that in my (small) football officiating association that on Friday's where we've put 30 officials on the crew that around 7-10 of them were college students. At first coaches tend to give us little credit, but once we do the job well we gain their respect.

College kids..
 

SouthGa,
I believe you are right on in recruiting the college student ranks. The only caveat I would add is you need to screen them carefully. I started umpiring LL baseball in a college town and we had a lot of students umpiring. Some tended to straggle in, be sloppily dressed, and lack focus and discipline. I always tried to arrive early, which meant I was always getting the plate gear on first.

I would make sure the intramural director offered a good recommendation

We used to get some college kids for softball. They generally worked out
pretty good, except that when school was over--they were gone. I like the
idea of college kids for football. I may pass that on to our association. Their
might be some college age kids who played high school ball and would like to
give it a shot.
PS--I totally agree that "the days of doing it for the love of the game" are long gone. Quality I believe will come when you have quantity.

TXMike, This comment was not very well scripted from a PR standpoint.

However, your logic is flawed. He didnt say the only people who are quality people are doctors and lawyers. He generalized that doctors and lawyers are an example of professional people. Notice the qoute said "doctors and lawyers and those type (professional) of people". There is a third criteria mentioned.

Professionalism is the biggest problem facing Louisiana officiating. There are too many people taking matters into their own hands, not following mechanics, not enforcing rules, feeling entitled without putting in the work, and just having a bad attitude. Doctors and lawyers was surely used as a reference to the appreciation of putting your time in to achieve the top level, and adhering to strict codes of professionalism and ethics. Two things that are faining in officiating these days.
though.