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Whatever evaluation system your group uses, you must make sure that part of the process includes communicating the results of the evaluation to the officials being evaluated. Arguably the hardest part of any evaluation program is the personal contact with the officials. It is very challenging to give face-to-face feedback. Select your words carefully so the feedback is constructive and leads to a change in behavior. Judgmental, general and negative comments are not beneficial. It takes special skills to do it properly, so a few hints will help. Step 1Read More

Whether you are writing a misconduct report on a player, a coach, an administrator or a field custodian, the same basic guidelines apply. Following are the key guidelines you should consider: File a written report only on those cases that warrant special attention. Like the boy who cried wolf, be sure what happened is outside the normal bounds of propriety. Just because you had a few cross words with a player or coach does not normally justify filing an incident report. Write down all information as soon as possible. TheRead More

For every quality rating system there are quality observers. Most observers are veteran officials whose eyes of experience are used to mold younger officials into better officials. Observers may or may not currently officiate, but all must be up-to-date with current techniques and rules. There are key elements to look for when rating officials: consistency, signaling, positioning and no-calls. A good observer looks for consistency in routine calls. Spotters looking for consistency in once-in-a-lifetime plays get distracted from the task at hand: making each official better than he or sheRead More

Your association’s cash flow needs to be kept on a tight leash. A free-spending group will likely not last long. Hold too tight to the purse strings, though, and you’re probably not offering your membership enough service. There is a balance to strive for when it comes to your group’s money — and that’s where a budget will keep you on a disciplined path. Step 1 — Give yourself enough time to present the completed budget to the board of directors for their approval. Sufficient time should be allotted forRead More

By Donald C. Collins We generally think of association leadership as assigning power, elected power and the power to garner the best assignments (which presumably is linked to ability). That traditional power can translate into economic power — the power to run camps, give clinics, etc. It can translate into power to be a trainer in your association — a power that gives one access to all the new officials, which should reinforce one’s power to assign, be elected and garner future good assignments when the best of the newRead More

In some associations, there are officers who’ve held their post for dozens of years and many associations wouldn’t think of electing a different slate of officers. That’s not good, because if your members share that view, beware. Apathy is at hand. If your members are convinced the leadership is a closed society, they will feel no special allegiance to the group. In addition, your organizations will miss out on a variety of fresh ideas from members willing to serve in office. The results: low morale, high member turnover and aRead More

Many association board members get frustrated with the behavior and antics of certain members during board or membership meetings. Or maybe the inability of maintaining a fair atmosphere for all members to participate frustrates them. Does that sound familiar? People-management and fairness are core skills of every successful official. Why not reapply your officiating skills to meetings? Planning. Effective pregame preparation is a paramount skill for an official that wants to succeed. Bring that same skill to meetings. Come with your thoughts organized and the information placed in an easilyRead More

Whether you’re an association leader or a regular member, networking within your group or within another area group will provide useful contacts to further advance the goals of your association or your own officiating career. It can only help to get to know the leaders of other associations and it’s absolutely invaluable to understand the needs of your own membership. The more you know about people, the better you can utilize their skills to help with association management. Step 1 — Arrive early so you can greet others as theyRead More

By Jerry Grunska Beginning officials sometimes harbor grand illusions about getting to the top. Veterans often say that young people are impatient; they expect too much too quickly. But veterans have always decried unrealistic expectations of newcomers. It’s not automatically a bad thing to rise up rapidly, but it is unseemly to go about it the wrong way. That’s where you need to step in, as a leader within your association, to help newer officials navigate a course for success. The wrong way is to curry favor aggressively before acquiringRead More

There’s a dispute between your association and the league in which you’re contracted to work. It’s unresolvable. Your group is also being sued by one of its own members. That, too, is unresolvable. Is it time to hire a lawyer and go to court? Not necessarily. Have you considered arbitration? Officials associations lack the time and money to engage in litigation. That creates a problem as we clearly live in a litigious society. Associations have not historically placed great emphasis on contractual arbitration, but is arbitration worthy of a seriousRead More