Meetings?

[Snake~eyes]

Just want to see how many lax officials we have here, so when are your meetings/training starting for lacrosse?
I recieved an email today about doing lacrosse for one orginization but think I am going to pass on that one

Also what level of play do you plan on working this year?



[Edited by Snake~eyes on Jan 13th, 2004 at 04:44 PM]

[RILAX]

My org starts a training session for first year officials (although anyone can go) in February. There are about four weeks of that with one session a week. The first general meeting is in March and that happens before any Varsity games although there may be scrimmages before that. We go fairly late it seems before all the high school stuff gets done (i.e. late May early June from what I remember).

I will be doing at least some varsity; hopefully a lot of varsity but that depend on when I can pick up a real job and what hours etc that will be. I also do a fair amount of JV and youth but I will be looking to get away from youth. I don’t mind doing the youth games but they can never get strait when/where etc about the games.

[referee1]

For the Central PA Lax Officials Association (CPLOA, our new, 1st & 2nd (optional) year officials started 01/08/2004. Each week thru 02/2004 focusing on rules interpretation and mechanics.

For all other CPLOA official our rules interpretation and mechanics meeting start 01/29/2004 and run thru 03/2004. Currently our chapter has approximately 65 lax officials.

CPLOA also conducts an on-field clinic prior to start of season as well. HS varsity and college games serve as the clinician tool. Veteran officials pair with new lax officials to explain call, point out proper mechanics and answer questions posed by newbies. Great teaching tool.

Certified HS/JV and newly enrolled as collegiate official in 2004.

[Snake~eyes]

So does your assoication put first year officials at HS games? Or does your chapter even do youth games?

[referee1]

Due to the growth of the sport in Central PA and # of lax officials, yes, 1st year officials will be paired with veteran officials to to do HS. However, the assignor will take in consideration the level of game (who's playing who) and assign a more veteran officials squad to do this type of game.

Our association does V, JV and Middle School.

[rommel22]

We have our regular chapter meetings in January, February and March. We also have one meeting in the middle of the season to review any problems that may come up and one end of the year dinner meeting. I say we have about 8 meetings in all. You have to attend at least four pre-seaon meetings to get a schedule.

Our training is a five week class that meets on Saturday's (Starting this Saturday, Jan. 24) for three hour sessions. At the end of the class room sessions, the trainees participate in an on field scrimmage of high school teams with veteran officials in mid-March. The vets take turns alternating between refing the game with the rookies shadowing them and then the rookies referee while the vets shadow the trainees. It's a two day weekend scrimmage. The new guys get a lot of practical experience that way.

We also put first year officials on high school games; we need to to get everything covered. But, we use three officials on regualr season varsity high school games in our area. We started this three years ago and it's working out great. It's easier to train and teach the new guys when they are working with two veterans and don't have to worry all the time about covering everthing and running around the field like a chicken with their head cut off. JV and middle school games only have two official assigned to them.

We have about 40 current officials and have a class of about 10 new ones starting this seasaon. I'm one of the trainers as well as the chapter assigner.

This season I will be working all levels of the game. College varsity, college club (USLIA and NCLL), high school varsity, JV and middle school (Youth.) I will only work about three of four days a week so I can go out and evelauate some of our crews. I only work middle school and JV games in an emergency (Someone calls off a game at the last minute.) I like being the third man in on a varsity game.