Dana Pappas on the State of Officiating Today

[TexDoc]

This is an excellent article:

http://www.taso.org/news/the-officiating-crisis-what-can-i-do

[Coby]

#1:  Let Supply and Demand play out.  Do not set artificial caps on game fees.  This is literally the only variable left that we have not manipulated.  The state does not set the rates of EMT workers, ticket takers, cops, coaches concession workers, ADs etc etc.  There always seem to be plenty of cops at games.  If a cop gets paid $40 an hour at school A and $50 an hour at school B then that is on the schools.  Local control Local decision on pay.  The schools do this everywhere but officials.

#2:  Online training modules.  This is how millennials think/train.  Create the modules.

[Rulesman]

Those who do this for the money do it for the wrong reason(s).

[Coby]

Correct.  Those who do it for money do it for the wrong reasons.  However,  it is one of the only variables that we have not manipulated to see if we get a different outcome.  Until we manipulate that variable we will never be able to cross it off as being related to the officiating shortage.

[Rulesman]

All you seem to be interested in is money.

[Coby]

If you knew anything about me you would know how absolutely stupid that notion is.  I am very detailed in my problem solving.  The main variable we have not adjusted to solve a problem is pay.  I don't know if it will fix the problem.  I know we have not adjusted it to be a pure market system.  If we allow a free market system to take place and we still have a shortage of officials then we can eliminate pay as a variable to the problem.  Until that time we can not eliminate it.

[Cowman52]

Attended our baseball Christmas supper tonight, several football guys there and of course the discussion started. Pay wasn't even brought up, hours neither,  mainly young, read that, lacking experience, getting games where simple mechanics and rules are done wrong and not a word is spoken.  Fumble forward out of bounds,  mark the ball where it wet out and go on.  HL flagging a coach on the LJ side, ball fumbled after player goes oob, and the bean bags flying make you think of a hail storm. 

We have meetings and attendance is 1/2 at best, and then someone wants to play stump the clinician, pre game lasts 2 minutes if the umpire didn't forget his pants,  I could go on and on. 
 
 We bring on the problems ourselves,  and till we fix them, a grand a game won't fix it.

[Joe Stack]

Those who do this for the money do it for the wrong reason(s).

I agree. So please send me all of the money you earned officiating this year. I will distribute it as I see fit. Since you don't do it for the money, you obviously don't mind not earning ANY money, right?

Of course not, but that's the so-called logic your comment seems to suggest. Right?

So, as long as we are earning SOME money, shouldn't we be paid based, in part, on what the people actually paying us are willing to pay?

[Rulesman]

You're out of luck. I earned zero this year. As for your so-called logic, it seems to me the issue is some think they're services are worth substantially more than the paying people are actually forking out. Texas officials are spoiled. I don't believe any state pays what Texas pays now.

[ALStripes17]

You're out of luck. I earned zero this year. As for your so-called logic, it seems to me the issue is some think they're services are worth substantially more than the paying people are actually forking out. Texas officials are spoiled. I don't believe any state pays what Texas pays now.

And for some odd reason, the ones who think they're services are worth more are generally not the best officials IMO.

Absolutely agree with the idea that the time, training, and resources don't equate to the service that we provide. However, I am in the camp that one just doesn't/shouldn't get into officiating for the money-but you definitely shouldn't have to do it for free.

In my experiences, the guys whose first question is "how much is the pay" don't end up signing up or amounting to anything worthwhile anyway. More pay means higher scrutiny. High scrutiny is what is driving young recruits away.

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[blindref757]

Announce that in the 2017 season that all varsity games from 1A to 6A will pay $300 a game and all sub-varsity games will pay $100 each.  Your shortage of officials would disappear overnight. 

I agree that initially, there might be many show up with the wrong motivation.  But competition unquestionably increases quality all the way around.  If there were suddenly an extra 50 guys in each chapter looking for "employment", there would undoubtedly be some who are really good that put pressure on the marginal veterans.  The quality wouldn't be immediate, but it would over time.

We can debate many other solutions...like making it a true meritocracy, better training, a better atmosphere, etc.  But if you want bodies to cover games and the situation is dire...the pay has to be the #1 starting spot IMHO.

[Rulesman]

And for some odd reason, the ones who think they're services are worth more are generally not the best officials IMO.

Absolutely agree with the idea that the time, training, and resources don't equate to the service that we provide. However, I am in the camp that one just doesn't/shouldn't get into officiating for the money-but you definitely shouldn't have to do it for free.

In my experiences, the guys whose first question is "how much is the pay" don't end up signing up or amounting to anything worthwhile anyway. More pay means higher scrutiny. High scrutiny is what is driving young recruits away.

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+1

[Coby]

Announce that in the 2017 season that all varsity games from 1A to 6A will pay $300 a game and all sub-varsity games will pay $100 each.  Your shortage of officials would disappear overnight. 

I agree that initially, there might be many show up with the wrong motivation.  But competition unquestionably increases quality all the way around.  If there were suddenly an extra 50 guys in each chapter looking for "employment", there would undoubtedly be some who are really good that put pressure on the marginal veterans.  The quality wouldn't be immediate, but it would over time.

We can debate many other solutions...like making it a true meritocracy, better training, a better atmosphere, etc.  But if you want bodies to cover games and the situation is dire...the pay has to be the #1 starting spot IMHO.

Gentlemen,

You are all missing the point.  The problem is lack of officials.  My chapter has manipulated every variable out there to get more people to officiate, to varying degrees of success.  The only main variable that we have not manipulated is pay.  The only variable we are not allowed to manipulate is pay.  I contend that until we are allowed to let supply and demand take place we will always have a shortage. 

For example: The Pee Wee league by my house pays $80 a game cash (Wed, Thurs, SAT) and always has 4 officials at every game.  The Jr Hi by my house pays $55 by check 2 weeks later and they always have 2 officials when they ask for 4 officials.

Example 2:  A private school contacted me to call all of their subvarsity games this year and told me to name my price.  The coach said that his players parents pay 17k a year and deserve to have officials at their games.  (Private schools do not fall under the same pricing mandates as the public schools they just voluntarily agree to follow them). I told him my price would be $75 a game and $50 travel.  It did not end up coming to that but once again my price for taking 3 hours away from my family is $200.  Your price may be $300 or $100 for 3 hours of your time whatever.  That is your right as an independent contractor in every aspect of work except officiating).

Example 3:  The cop at my high school gets paid $40 an hour to work the high school games for the school after hours.  When there are not enough cops guess what they pay $60 an hour.  I get staff emails all the time about "make an extra $60 by being the ticket taker at the game on Friday".  Guess what I have also seen $40 for being a ticket taker and $80 ticket taker emails.  I usually talk to the EMTs at the game as well (I talk to everyone I really enjoy the social aspect of officiating).  I always saw a set of EMT's at school A's games, I saw that set of EMTs at school B's game this year.  I asked him why is he not at school A?  His response was, "I got 200 more reasons to be at school B".

Let's go over every aspect of a high school football game that adults get paid, and that rate is set by the local district.
Cops/Security
Coaches
Announcer
ticket taker
Trainer
Team Dr
EMT
Athletic Director
Concession Stand Worker

If the local school district wants to pay $100 an hour that is their choice and their right.

Now lets go over the only thing that I know of (in Texas) where the state sets the rate:

Officials

Why do we not look at our profession as skilled labor deserving of high rates of compensation possible just like the jobs listed above?  If school X pays more; that is their decision in every aspect of compensation of adults except officials.  Why are we the exception?


So back to the article.  Very well written.  If not the pay variable then list out another variable that will fix the problem?  I don't know if pay will fix the problem.  I do know that we have not let supply and demand take place and supply and demand has been fixing problems in this country for 350 years.  So basically all of you dont have solutions you just dont like mine?

[hefnerjm]

Pay is something that will be very hard to control without dismantling the current organizational structure.

To take this discussion in a more productive direction, I think Coby mentioned something important:

#2:  Online training modules.  This is how millennials think/train.  Create the modules.

Millennials do train using technology, thats true, and if we can get them in the door and get them to stay longer than a year, thats great.

But beyond the "how", millennials care about the "why".  There is one word that millennials care about more than anything:  Purpose

In the corporate world, millennials get this rep for being lazy/unmotivated.  In my experience, they are highly creative and efficient at solving problems...If they understand the purpose.

How many associations are reaching out to younger people to become officials and focusing their messaging on the idea of officiating being a community service? 

While I think it is vital for the larger governing bodies to crack down on much of the negative behavior of coaches and fans, but that is a big societal problem...at the association level, we need to be recruiting and reminding members about the bigger picture and the true purpose to be there is not the money, but rather the opportunity to give back to the community and help teach this game we love to the kids in our own communities.

Gentlemen, we have to demonstrate our Purpose to the next generation.  How are you doing that?

[Coby]

Pay is something that will be very hard to control without dismantling the current organizational structure.

To take this discussion in a more productive direction, I think Coby mentioned something important:
Millennials do train using technology, thats true, and if we can get them in the door and get them to stay longer than a year, thats great.

But beyond the "how", millennials care about the "why".  There is one word that millennials care about more than anything:  Purpose

In the corporate world, millennials get this rep for being lazy/unmotivated.  In my experience, they are highly creative and efficient at solving problems...If they understand the purpose.

How many associations are reaching out to younger people to become officials and focusing their messaging on the idea of officiating being a community service? 

While I think it is vital for the larger governing bodies to crack down on much of the negative behavior of coaches and fans, but that is a big societal problem...at the association level, we need to be recruiting and reminding members about the bigger picture and the true purpose to be there is not the money, but rather the opportunity to give back to the community and help teach this game we love to the kids in our own communities.

Gentlemen, we have to demonstrate our Purpose to the next generation.  How are you doing that?

You are spot on about millennials.  The purpose is very important to them.  When you talk to adult fraternal organizations (Knights of Columbus, ELKS, Church functions ETC) they will tell you the 2 best times to recruit members is right when you are out of college and right when your kids are out of college.  The reason they give is that the person has time on their hands to give.  I think it is the same with officiating.  Make it more of a purpose and brotherhood and go from there.  I am not against trying this.

How many "midlife crisis guys" do you get  in your new member training classes?  A lot of ours are 45-50 year old who's kids are grown that perhaps coached their kids youth leagues that want to stay involved with the sport.

This leads me to one of my biggest complaints about National Officiating Organizations.  The lack of data collection.  How are we going to zero in on our marketing strategies if we dont know what the typical official is demographics wise?  What is the most common profession? What age when they start? What ethnicity?  Why do they leave?  I was told 5 years ago that the average age of someone in TASO is 50.5 years old.  My next question was what is the average age of an official that calls Varsity games?  They did not know.  Without a good data pool to pull information from how are we suppose to make informed decisions?

[hefnerjm]

I was told 5 years ago that the average age of someone in TASO is 50.5 years old.  My next question was what is the average age of an official that calls Varsity games?  They did not know.  Without a good data pool to pull information from how are we suppose to make informed decisions?

I was at the NASO conference this year, and they had a PhD from Univ of Sothern Miss that had done a lot of that research and data collection.  I think the average age for football officials was like 57.5 aggregate across HS, NCAA, and NFL.  No idea the sample size, but I think he said his research was published.  Ill try to track it down.

The bigger issue is getting organizational leadership that buys into the data and then develops recruiting and retention strategies that can scale down to the local associations.  And those strategies are likely different for major metros vs. rural associations vs. college towns.