Look, not trying to belittle the seasoned vets here because Im sure all of y'all are like the older gents in my chapter, really great guys and all. However, the mentality is what it is. "I had to bust my IDIOT for 10 years to get a varsity assignment, so should everyone coming up." That's just how it is and that's the reason you lose 75% of young officials after three years. You can defend it all you want, I'm just a silly little D4 shouting the truth. Ignore it if you want, but dont complain that you cant understand why people leave.
One major change that needs to happen in some form or fashion: officials who physically cannot perform(not in the gutter sense) on the field any longer. There needs to be a mechanism that encourages them to remain as valued assets but also gets them off the field. I know my chapter has talked about game evaluators and such, i think that'd be the PERFECT role. The chapter can pay their expenses and maybe a small stipend to watch the games and evaluate the crew. Even injured officials could do it and earn game points while being sidelined.
Clear, this is the same discussion we had 20+ years ago when I was young and not nearly and big and could still move pretty good. Simple fact is, an official with 3 or 4 years experience is not ready for 4A and 5A quality football. When you get a game of this caliber with this little experience, you wind up getting scratched by the coaches. I've seen it several times. I think officials at this level of experience are certainly ready for varsity games, but perhaps at the 6 man, private school and lower classifications. After working there for a few years, then yes, time to move up to the higher quality games. You absolutely cannot discount experience when it comes to officiating. Coaches know many of the older officials, feel comfortable with them and want to use them. A good evaluation program may go a long way in helping identify younger/newer officials that really are ready to move up, but that's expensive and time consuming.
Being a gazelle on the field can help and hurt you. I have seen officials that over hustle to perhaps prove something, who knows what (that they can move maybe) and look ridiculous. Patience in officiating is something gained with experience. And, the most problems we have on the football field is when a young official gets on the field with a young coach. You cannot discount experience and patience.
I do agree that if someone is physically unfit to work as an official, they should not be on the field. That has nothing to do with age or experience. I also fully realize that just because one official is older, might have slowed a few steps and put on a few pounds, that does not at all make him a lesser official to the young guy that moves like the wind and hasn't a clue as to what he's doing. The rule book and mechanics of what we do are probably the most complicated of any sport in the world, and you don't learn them in 4 or 5 years to point of your full potential.
