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It often takes a tragedy to remind us that the other members of our association are not just officials, but human beings as well. When a member suffers a personal loss, the association can be a much-appreciated source of support and sympathy for the grieving member. In the same way, members appreciate it when their peers recognize joyful events or accomplishments in their lives. Learn how to handle those situations. Someone in the association (it doesn’t have to be an officer) should be designated to be responsible for what isRead More

By Tim Sloan Particularly when you’re running a larger officials association, it’s a great idea to get some of your membership working on committees to support your mandate. Among the many plusses is that you can get people involved with certain projects who have a passion for them. Motivation is important to most success. If recruitment is a big deal, for instance, then there is no better person to choose than someone who doesn’t mind doing the spade work to give that initiative some legs. You can probably also findRead More

By Jerry Grunska No man is an island; no board is an entity unto itself. If we start from that premise, the first step toward evaluation is to admit that it might be a good thing. Board members should ask themselves: Do we have a sensibly defined purpose and can we examine the elements of that purpose ourselves and come up with useful answers? For talking points, let’s say a board has a written mission statement that says it will serve schools with qualified officials. The document also says itRead More

Choosing the people who will run your association is an important task. Remember that the most talented officials in the group aren’t necessarily best equipped to make decisions regarding how the association conducts its business. As with any other association affairs, it’s crucial to follow the bylaws when election time rolls around. If your association does not have bylaws, or has bylaws but they do not spell out election procedures, here are some things to keep in mind. Step 1 — Members must be informed well in advance when andRead More

By Lawrence Tomei Envision two chapter meetings being held simultaneously in adjoining meeting rooms. The first is a regularly scheduled Tuesday night session with no rules interpreter, no mechanics coach, no assigning secretary and no agenda. Most members have forgotten (or long since lost) their rulebook and casebook. There is a board but someone forget to bring the chalk. Stragglers show up 10 minutes late and the session begins with a raucous debate of whatever rules and mechanics questions are of interest at the moment. Someone calls the meeting toRead More

Not all clinics have to be formal, high-tech affairs. You can run your own one-day camp packed with good training and information that is low-cost and even fun for all concerned. You first need to decide what type of training you will offer. Will it involve players and coaches? If so, you’ll need to coordinate efforts with someone running a camp for players. Those types of camps often need officials to work the live scrimmages and will likely be amenable to having your campers mix in with theirs. The easiestRead More

Recruiting young officials is important to every association. But bringing those officials along in a way that is positive greatly increases the chance those young referees will remain as an official in future years. Here are some ways you can help find and develop young officials. 1. Work with your local schools. Set up partnerships with local schools to recruit young officials. Have an association member speak at end-of-season athletic banquets, career days or any other opportunities to let students know of the ways that exist to become an official.Read More

By Patrick Rosenow Setting standards for members’ behavior and enforcing those standards are among the most difficult challenges an officials association will face. It means anticipating the possibility of unacceptable conduct by a fellow official and trying to set up a mechanism for dealing with what may well be a confrontational situation. Officials are generally willing to face confrontation on the court or the field, if need be. However, they hate to have to get in an adverse situation with someone who is supposed to be a comrade in stripes.Read More

It’s that time of month again: your monthly association board meeting. Officers have prepared reports, contacted members, gathered information and set an agenda in preparation. With so much advance thought and planning, it’s hard to imagine that some meetings get off course and fail to accomplish everything that the officers had hoped for — but they frequently do. How do meetings get off track? How can you increase the productivity of your meetings? Just follow some simple “dos and don’ts.” DO: Set an agenda that is realistic and thorough, andRead More

Clearly there is no single solution to the problem of poor sportsmanship in the game today. It is a monster with many tentacles. But officials can and should play a role in improving the situation. Associations can provide initiatives for their officials to follow. That includes doing what is necessary when fan behavior crosses the line. How often have you heard officials in your association complain about a coach’s behavior, but when you ask him or her what was done about it, the response is, “Nothing.” In order to developRead More