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By Brent Killackey In the world of officiating, it’s usually only when there’s a controversy on the field or court that the public takes notice of officiating. And the aftermath of those instances doesn’t make a particularly good environment to promote officiating and your association. But simply hiding from the masses — only responding to defend your members when trouble arises — misses out on opportunities to raise the positive profile of officiating. Getting out the good news about your members and your association’s activities can serve to humanize officiatingRead More

By Carl Smith So, you’ve decided to dip your finger in the bucket and become a leader in your officiating association. It’s a big step. Without good leadership, associations will flounder, stagnate, or worse, cease to exist. How does that relate to you? Everyone goes in with the idea he or she will be a great leader, but you must make sure your eyes are wide open. Do you know what’s in store for you? Is it really for you? Can you make a positive difference? Here are some importantRead More

Many associations have a banquet at some point during the year. Whether it’s to honor members who earned plum assignments, install officers or just a way of celebrating our avocation, banquets are most enjoyable. But if you’re the one who must plan the event, you might be less cheery about the prospect. Here are some tips that may help you plan and execute the festivities. 1. Pick the best time possible. There is no such thing as a perfect time for a banquet. Someone will always grumble they can’t attendRead More

By Donald C. Collins Association bylaws are a road map to how an association is run, and a means for setting association standards and practices. That dual role of road map and means of setting standards makes the bylaws an all-encompassing document. The broad scope makes execution difficult, and it leads to a lot of questions. Here are five frequently raised issues. 1. How Should Members Be Disciplined? Association bylaws should set out association requirements, require notice of violations, provide for hearings where facts may be in dispute and provideRead More

Playoff and state tournament time can be full of excitement for officials chosen to work the big games, but there are many others who are upset and disappointed when they find out they weren’t among the elite. Your association may or may not have something to do with the assignment selections. Either way, you need to be ready to deal with the aftermath. It’s important for the emotional highs and lows of playoff time not to create a divide in your association. 1. Make it a group achievement. Your associationRead More

It can often be challenging and frustrating for the presiding officer of an association meeting to deal with a very disruptive member. Those are the types of members with strong opinions. They are very outspoken. They will cut other people off while they are talking. They will change issues or go off on a tangent. They will challenge the meeting leader and others in various ways over rules, mechanics and philosophy. Those types will be a pain in the backside for any association leader. Unfortunately, members who disrupt meetings comeRead More

By Carl Smith Obstacles can be overcome by an officials association board if it is comprised of reasonable people who truly want the association to succeed and the membership to benefit from the decisions made by the board. That leaves out dictators, career politicians, etc. The board needs to be made up of working people who have been in the trenches and still have a valid idea of what’s going on. You want to get something accomplished? There are different methods leaders use. Option 1: Have everyone in complete agreement.Read More

By Jeffrey Stern Several years ago, I received a phone call from an official — the training officer for his local association — seeking advice. He said he was making a presentation on positioning and showed a video clip illustrating the issues that can ensue if an official gets a bad angle on a play. “The problem is the official got himself straight lined,” the instructor said sagely. When he opened the floor for questions, a young man timidly raised his hand. When recognized he said sheepishly, “What does straightRead More

Officiating isn’t for everyone. You’re going to have individuals who can’t cut it on the field and court and give up the avocation. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to save an officiating career. The right approach could keep that member officiating for another year or many years. Here are a few tips for reaching out to a member who is contemplating an early exit from officiating: Figure out the problem Don’t wait for the member to come to you for help; seek the individual out. Tell the officialRead More

By Tim Sloan The great management philosopher, Dilbert, once invented a game called Buzzword Bingo. Meeting attendees were distributed little cards, with hackneyed words and terms like “opportunity” and “paradigm shift” arranged into a five-by-five matrix. Whoever heard five in a row first was the winner — or was that the loser? Interesting idea. Could you play Buzzword Bingo in your association meetings and activities? Are there some things the president and membership are saying, which have the distinct taste of grape Kool-Aid? I hope not; if there are, it’sRead More