Recruiting

[JasonTX]

As the football season quickly approaches I would like encourage anyone 18 years and up to consider joining the ranks of being a football official. We have been having a steady decline in our numbers that there will be games across the state that either have to be moved to another day or cancelled. With each year we have a great number of officials retiring and those first year officials not returning for a second season. Folks this is not good if we want Texas High School football to continue to be the best in the nation. We have the best football players in all of the nation and the officials we have are the best as well. We have more officials who climb the ladder to the NFL than any other state. You can be a part of that and take pride in being a part of high school football in Texas. Each year there are always complaints about how poorly games are officiated. I wouldn't call it poor myself, but I would say that some games are being officiated with newer officials so it is not expected that they will do a great job. Our goal is to improve the level of officiating at each game no matter what level it is. In order to that we must have a larger pool of officials to choose from to assign to a game. Compare it to a football team. If you only have 20 players on a team, there is probably only going to be 3 or 4 that are "star" quality players. Whereas if you had 80 players, you'd probably have 20 players that were "star" quality. Well, the same is true with officials. The more you have to pick from, the higher number you will have that will be great officials. In my area alone a big game night has us covering 16 games on a single friday night. Using 5 officials means we need 80 officials. If all we have is 80, then how many of those do you think will be great officials. Being a great official or a "star" player is something that you are born with. You either got it or you don't. No ammount of training or practicing is going to elevate you to that status. In officiating, it will take a good 5 years before it will be seen if you "got it" or not. Again, I ask anyone here 18 years or older, male or female, to contact me by private message and I will connect you with the proper person to get started. Training for first year members starts July 6 in my area of Texas. I was once a fan 10 years ago and I read and ad in the paper and I made the call myself and that was the greatest decision I ever made. I guarantee you a better persective of the game, you'll learn more in your first day of training that you'll never be able to learn anywhere else. You'll develop a greater appreciation of the game. I can keep going and going about all the benefits. Any questions please let me know. I look forward to seeing you on the field.

[LE Dad]

I will do it.:D



























If I can work the LE-Gilmer game.:devil:

[LE Dad]

No seriously after my kids are semi grown (and that ain't long) I may do it. I know all the pros and cons from my older brother ( about 10 yrs in SW Arkansas) and a couple of friends who tried it briefly. It will give me a different perspective I am sure, but with all the crap the linesmen take I don't know how long I would make it.

[JasonTX]

Originally posted by LE Dad
I will do it.:D

If I can work the LE-Gilmer game.:devil:

I can't guarantee you an assignment. I have a hunch that since you user name is LE and you want to work an LE game, that won't happen. Conflict of interest rules. Send me a PM and I'll get you connected with the person in your area.

[Old Tiger]

Use paragraphs...All I see is a big white blob

[JasonTX]

Originally posted by LE Dad
No seriously after my kids are semi grown (and that ain't long) I may do it. I know all the pros and cons from my older brother ( about 10 yrs in SW Arkansas) and a couple of friends who tried it briefly. It will give me a different perspective I am sure, but with all the crap the linesmen take I don't know how long I would make it.

Mine are 6 and 13. Don't be a linesman if that is the worry. As for coaches. Most of the time they aren't really hollering at you. True story. Coach comes to the official after a tight play. Coach says, "That was a great call and I agree with it, but my fans don't and they will expect me to holler at you, so I'm just going to kick some dirt so they will think I'm getting onto you."

[garciap77]

Originally posted by LE Dad
I will do it.:D



























If I can work the LE-Gilmer game.:devil:

Rumor has it, that you worked the LA vs Boston game and look how that turned out!!!:D



;)

[garciap77]

Originally posted by LE Dad
No seriously after my kids are semi grown (and that ain't long) I may do it. I know all the pros and cons from my older brother ( about 10 yrs in SW Arkansas) and a couple of friends who tried it briefly. It will give me a different perspective I am sure, but with all the crap the linesmen take I don't know how long I would make it.

Come on LE! At 60 plus you think you can keep up with them boys????:D :D :D












;)


P.S. You should try coaching in New Mexico or Mexico!;)

[LE Dad]

Originally posted by garciap77
Rumor has it, that you worked the LA vs Boston game and look how that turned out!!!:D



;) :2thumbsup

[garciap77]

Originally posted by LE Dad
:2thumbsup

Hey Coach LE DAD! How's your team looking this year?:D




;)

[LE Dad]

Originally posted by garciap77
Come on LE! At 60 plus you think you can keep up with them boys????:D :D :D












;)


P.S. You should try coaching in New Mexico or Mexico!;) Does Hobbs have an openimg?:confused: :confused:

[garciap77]

Originally posted by LE Dad
Does Hobbs have an openimg?:confused: :confused:

http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/big/big-smiley-003.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/free-big-smiley.php)

[GreenMonster]

Originally posted by LE Dad
No seriously after my kids are semi grown (and that ain't long) I may do it. I know all the pros and cons from my older brother ( about 10 yrs in SW Arkansas) and a couple of friends who tried it briefly. It will give me a different perspective I am sure, but with all the crap the linesmen take I don't know how long I would make it.

The linesmen would take less crap if they would do their job and actually attempt to communicate with the referee for the coaches instead of pretending we aren't standing right beside them. If you show that you are willing to work with us we are a whole lot more willing to work with you. Remember, it can be our job on the line out there on Friday nights the least you can do is give us an explanation of what's going on so that we can try to fix the problem on our end.

[Sville]

It is funny you made this post. I live in Stephenville and I decided to be an offical. I just wanted to do subvarsity games so I could still watch my Jackets on Fridays. The nearest TASO chapter is Fort Worth. I call, get all the info and they tell me I have to attend at least 10 of 12 meetings starting in July. Those meetings started at 5:30pm in downtown Fort Worth every Monday. I told the guy, " There is no way I can make it there by then." The meetings were 72 miles from my house and I get off at 5pm. He said thanks but sorry you can't do it if you can't make the meetings. TASO needs to come up with some sort of online training program or make the meetings much more accessible if they want more officials.

[Matthew328]

Thats a problem I've heard from many people regarding becoming an official. Heck there's a guy who works with me who wants to be an offical but he can't make it to downtown Ft Worth by 5:30....

[JasonTX]

Originally posted by GreenMonster
The linesmen would take less crap if they would do their job and actually attempt to communicate with the referee for the coaches instead of pretending we aren't standing right beside them. If you show that you are willing to work with us we are a whole lot more willing to work with you. Remember, it can be our job on the line out there on Friday nights the least you can do is give us an explanation of what's going on so that we can try to fix the problem on our end.


All I ask is that if you get a person with less than 5 years experience, please restrain yourself from getting onto them. With the younger generations of recruits comes a not so think skin. After 5 years we like to think that they can handle it a lot better. We don't want to "scare" anyone off before they've had an oppurtunity to truly learn the sport. Also, not every person we get to join are good at the communication aspect. Some are great and some stink. This is why I am trying to get as many as I can to join so that the odds of you having a communicator go up.

[JasonTX]

Originally posted by Sville
It is funny you made this post. I live in Stephenville and I decided to be an offical. I just wanted to do subvarsity games so I could still watch my Jackets on Fridays. The nearest TASO chapter is Fort Worth. I call, get all the info and they tell me I have to attend at least 10 of 12 meetings starting in July. Those meetings started at 5:30pm in downtown Fort Worth every Monday. I told the guy, " There is no way I can make it there by then." The meetings were 72 miles from my house and I get off at 5pm. He said thanks but sorry you can't do it if you can't make the meetings. TASO needs to come up with some sort of online training program or make the meetings much more accessible if they want more officials.

It takes a lot of commitment and I understand that. A lot of employers are flexible with the time we need. They understand the need for high school football in the community and most are understanding with the role we have. We have guys that drive 2 hours to our meetings. Imagine what we do for a 4:00 JV game and in some cases a 3:00 game. My normal work schedule is till 5 pm. Most every Tuesday and Thursday game nights I have leave work at 3 pm. As for the training. We actually start our training at 6 pm. A little further drive but have you checked with Abilene or Waco? Perhaps they start later than 5:30. There is only so much you can do online. You learn so much more in the classroom than an online program can do for you. Plus a lot of the training will consist of actually going out to a football field and teaching new officials on the field. for a Varsity game we are required to be at the game site 2 hours prior to the game so depending on the site I typically leave at 3 pm for those. With all the time we put in, it becomes well worth it when you step onto that field. No greater feeling than working a peewee game and a 6 year old comes up and shakes your hand and tells you "good job".

[JasonTX]

delete

[Sville]

Originally posted by JasonTX
As for the training. There is only so much you can do online. You learn so much more in the classroom than an online program can do for you. Plus a lot of the training will consist of actually going out to a football field and teaching new officials on the field.

I do not agree. You can learn the vast majority of the book work though an online course. Then you would only have to meet once a month for a skills test. Once you have the certification the only way you are going to get good is to work games. 99% of those meetings could be done through an online program. I have officiated basketball and went through some of those meetings (b/c they were local.)

I am certified through the wazoo as a fire marshal, and some of my certs and the majority of my yearly CE's were/are done online. I just find it ridiculous with todays technology that a person would have to travel 2 hours for a training meeting when it could be done very easily online with the proper network.

[JasonTX]

Originally posted by Sville
I do not agree. You can learn the vast majority of the book work though an online course. Then you would only have to meet once a month for a skills test. Once you have the certification the only way you are going to get good is to work games. 99% of those meetings could be done through an online program. I have officiated basketball and went through some of those meetings (b/c they were local.)

I am certified through the wazoo as a fire marshal, and some of my certs and the majority of my yearly CE's were/are done online. I just find it ridiculous with todays technology that a person would have to travel 2 hours for a training meeting when it could be done very easily online with the proper network.

There is a lot more to officiating than just simply learning the rules. We do have classes strictly on communication, mechanics, and lots of video training. In fact most of the rules are learned outside of the classes on your own. You can have someone who is an expert at the rules but that does not make them a good official. That is why we spend a lot of time teaching the other areas of the game. I've seen people know the rules backwards but on the field they stink. When you get a group of students together a lot of questions are asked and that benefits the whole group. The online setting makes that nearly impossible. I appreciate your effort to at least check into it. That's a lot more than what a lot of people do. One day, I guarantee that there will not be enough officials to cover each game and actually that day is already here. There were games cancelled or moved last year just so there would be officials. That is all I am trying to prevent. With a lot of schools creating football programs that didn't have them previously, along with the decline in officials, it is getting to crunch time.

[LE Dad]

Ok no LE games...:(









Do you think I could get a couple of Brownwood games:confused:






:devil:

[95mustang]

Originally posted by LE Dad



Do you think I could get a couple of Brownwood games:confused:






:devil:

Guess your wanting to see some real football. :D

[Sville]

I am a member of a multi jurisdictional emergency task force. We do online video conferences/meetings all the time, with services like Skype and others. It is very easy to have the classroom setting. If you have a PC and a good internet connection all you need is a $25 webcam. We do live training exercise once a quarter (to physically practice scenarios)..ie.. like the monthly skills training I mentioned previously.

The majority of those basketball meetings I attended were basically video sessions where the instructor would show a video clip and then ask what did the official do right or wrong. I got a lot out of those but it was something that could of very easily been done online IMHO.

I appreciate the fact you are encouraging people to officiate, but until TASO gets with the times and makes it easier and cheaper for people to become refs their enrollment is going to continue to drop.

[Sville]

Originally posted by LE Dad
Do you think I could get a couple of Brownwood games:confused:


:devil:

I work them with you LE Dad!:devil: :devil: :devil:

[JasonTX]

Originally posted by Sville
I am a member of a multi jurisdictional emergency task force. We do online video conferences/meetings all the time, with services like Skype and others. It is very easy to have the classroom setting. If you have a PC and a good internet connection all you need is a $25 webcam. We do live training exercise once a quarter (to physically practice scenarios)..ie.. like the monthly skills training I mentioned previously.

The majority of those basketball meetings I attended were basically video sessions where the instructor would show a video clip and then ask what did the official do right or wrong. I got a lot out of those but it was something that could of very easily been done online IMHO.

I appreciate the fact you are encouraging people to officiate, but until TASO gets with the times and makes it easier and cheaper for people to become refs their enrollment is going to continue to drop.

Computers? Man, we still got some old guys who are still working with typewriters. :D

That's why we need people like you to bring in your knowledge of the current technology. That could solve part of the first year training, but the entire chapter meets every Monday as well to review the previous weeks games. I don't know how basketball does things but I can see some benefits to online stuff but it will never be able to replace the in person meetings we have. TASO is already implementing a database of high school game tapes using the HUDL program that a lot of coaches use. TASO has a committee of officials that starting this year, whose job is to review tons of video through the season and post for all members across the state to review. So the future may get to the online training that you speak of, but that don't do us any good at this present time. We need officials now.

[JasonTX]

Still no takers?

[garciap77]

Originally posted by 95mustang
Guess your wanting to see some real football. :D

:eek: :eek: :eek:

[BaseballUmp]

Ive been out of the loop this year with TASO...had to take time off for college, but how has the whole UIL vs. TASO debacle turned out?

[JasonTX]

Originally posted by BaseballUmp
Ive been out of the loop this year with TASO...had to take time off for college, but how has the whole UIL vs. TASO debacle turned out?

Each court this goes to has sided with TASO. The UIL keeps appealing and has lost each time.

Non-related to the UIL vs TASO, but in regards to the court case in which the workmans comp insuranse company that tried to sue 5 officials. In that case a Bexar County District Judge issued a Judgment awarding over $400,000 in sanctions and fees against a Plaintiff for filing a frivolous lawsuit that named five Texas football officials.

[VWG]

One thing is for sure. Every season, and I mean every season.... The best coaches and officials are in the stands. Just sit back and listen and you will find the best experts on the game. Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry, or the best NFL official ain't got nothing on the guys and gals in the stands on Friday nights.

:1popcorn:

[LE Dad]

Originally posted by 95mustang
Guess your wanting to see some real football. :D Nah just need a slower paced game to hone my skills.:D :devil:

[garciap77]

Originally posted by LE Dad
Nah just need a slower paced game to hone my skills.:D :devil:

:eek: :eek: :eek: