Becoming a Volleyball Official

[stmaryrams]

Originally Posted by MCBear

... there is an even greater avenue for working more matches and gaining a ton of experience. I am referring to reffing USAV club matches. On a Saturday or Sunday during club season, you will work anywhere 4 to 10 or 12 MATCHES during the day. Although the mechanics are slightly different from NFHS and NCAA, it is still a great way to gain a lot of experience in a very short amount of time. If you choose to referee for a full club season, you will get the equivalent of 4 or 5 years of high school volleyball officiating experience within a 6-month period. ...

After being encouraged by several of my local association members I did just that last year. I was certified to work USAV. Bit of an attitude with the group to begin when finding out I was a high school official. They were all saying it would be harder for me to make the transition.
Honestly, it was not that bad. The reversal of the signals (USAV point, violation to NFHS violation, point) was the most obvious along with net play away from the ball. The bottom line was that as you said I worked a seasons worth of games in a couple of tournaments. Got to see some spectacular volleyball with great players. 6 or 7 games a day at a high level makes you really bring the "A" game. It helped as I got my first HS playoff games this year.

[OverAndBack]

It just looks interesting and like a challenge.

But I hadn't thought about the fact that I've never (except in PE) played the game, so I don't have a real "feel" for it. I don't know, but that might present a problem.

I got out of basketball because I didn't love basketball and the cost/benefit ratio was all screwy because of that. I don't have a volleyball background, so there's no love for the game or feel for the game that could potentially be a help, so I may just give it a pass.

Thanks for everybody's input, though!

[ASA/NYSSOBLUE]

O&P - I think you are making a mistake! I had never played the game outside of PE/backyard. whatever either. When I started, I could not rven remember the last time I had even seen a match! Heck, I had never blown a whistle before!! As a long time, somewhat jaded softball ump, it has been quite an experience trying to pick up on what this game is all about.

Give it a shot - take the local hs clinic....do a season or two of low level school games, THEN see what you think! The investment in equipment is minimal, so its not like a lot of sports where you would be stuck with a boatload of gear. Most school seasons are an intense month + of matches, so at the very least, you get a nice months worth of fees! I bet you would find yourself enjoying yourself a LOT - the kids are all great, almost all of the COACHES at that level are great. And remember, even if all you ever do are low level school games, its something you can do long past the time you can work the other, more physically demanding sports. I worked with one of our brand new officials this year, and we were chatting before the match, and he said his son had taken the course, but had dropped out. This guy said he yelled at him, telling that exact same thing -"you idiot, you can do this until you are 90!!!"

You HAVE to love a sport where the most you have to replace after a season's work is a whistle, and maybe a shirt....

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by OverAndBack

It just looks interesting and like a challenge.

But I hadn't thought about the fact that I've never (except in PE) played the game, so I don't have a real "feel" for it. I don't know, but that might present a problem.

I got out of basketball because I didn't love basketball and the cost/benefit ratio was all screwy because of that. I don't have a volleyball background, so there's no love for the game or feel for the game that could potentially be a help, so I may just give it a pass.

Thanks for everybody's input, though!

I was in the same boat, mostly. I only played PE and church league volleyball. But I got talked into trying it. The first season was kind of tough, but only in the same way that a rookie season in any new sport is tough. My second season...I LOVED IT.

The main reason I love officiating is the challenge. Volleyball certainly does not have the same physical challenges as basketball or football. But even in basketball, what I love most is the mental challenge. Can I see everything I should see, recognize what is happening in the moment, properly determine whether it matters, and, if it matters, make the call? All in "real time".

Volleyball has an awful lot of that kind of challenge. Checking alignments will tax your ability to determine spatial relationships. Rotations constantly challenge your ability to track and know if that attacker or blocker was front or back row. Getting the necessary look at ball handling and those pesky pancakes will challenge your ability to anticipate, focus, see the whole play, and react.

Do yourself a favor, and try it. Give it a couple of seasons and see if it doesn't grow on you.