By Jeffrey Stern
Many officials don’t have to be told it’s time to retire. They know it. Their bodies give them constant reminders. They no longer have the time. Or they just lose interest. From an association and assigner standpoint, those are easy.
It’s a lot tougher when officials don’t know their best days are in the rear-view mirror and want to continue. In those cases, succession planning can assist.
Since amateur officials are independent contractors, an association can stop offering games to anyone it deems is no longer capable of the job. But there is no need to be cold-hearted, especially to someone who has given many years to the avocation. Succession planning allows a group to ease rather than push a member into retirement.
The first step is to determine a departure timeline. Ideally, the official will choose his or her own retirement date. Failing that, negotiation may be necessary. It is unfair to have that discussion mid-season. Give the member processing time.
Beyond a watch or other token the association might present to a retiring official, the group can provide a “victory lap” of sorts by giving the member some say in assignments for the final season. Perhaps he or she wants to work one last game at the place his or her career began. Maybe there is a rivalry game that draws a big crowd. Make it clear, however, that postseason games will be assigned on merit, not sentiment. The association will honor a reasonable request to work the final game at a specific spot, but only if it is within the official’s ability level.
A departing official can, in his or her final season, get games that don’t require a 125-mile drive each way. Likewise, an official may request the opportunity to work with an old friend a number of times during that last season or perhaps mentor a family member just joining the avocation.
As the retiring official advances through the final season, an association can help honor him or her. The host school may agree to make an announcement that the member is wrapping up a long career. Association members can also attend games to show support for the official.
The final year, through a succession program, can be an enjoyable and memorable one for the official.
Jeffrey Stern is senior editor of Referee.
Loading ...
