Moving up

[BrendanP]

I've done a lot of reflection since the last season ended. Despite the issues I had to get worked out, I want to keep going. I want to move up, become a crew chief, wear the white hat, and maybe someday do major college football. The main question is how you get there. Now I know and understand that the journey from high school to college ball, and then up the levels of college is about as long and daunting as it would be to try to walk from my home in Santa Rosa, California to the Big Ten's headquarters in Chicago.

But above all, I've learned that an officiating career is like a marriage: you have to put a lot of work into it on a constant basis or it crash and burn fairly quickly. Now in spite of some of the comments I made here before, I didn't get it. I was doing this for the wrong reasons. But after I got myself together and realized what a valuable thing I have that I was about to throw in the trash, I realized it's something I want to hang onto as long as I can.

I want to pursue officiating as far as it will take me. If that's to the PAC-12, then I beat the odds and fulfilled a dream I had on and off even as a child. If I only made it to the NAIA, then I fulfilled a goal: working college football. If life intervenes, as it has so many times in so many things in the brief 21 years I've had so far, then that's as far as it will take me. The only question I have is how you get there. What is the path?

[HLinNC]

1) Get to know college officials in your region.  Some still call HS ball so align yourself with them when you can.
2) Work spring practice scrimmages.  This is where the conferences get a look at you.  It may or may not be the supervisor of officials but the local coordinator for that college will pass along your name if you have merit.

That seems to be the best way.

[yarnnelg]

Hopefully you are close to a Major University. I spent a lot of time driving back and forth to Gainesville from Tampa. Spring and Fall.

Get a mentor! Hopefully NCAA Officials in your Association. They can help you with mechanics and things they feel are needed to move up. DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK!

[Archie]

The best way these days to get a chance to "move up" is to spend the time and money to attend a camp.  Several of them are held each spring and most are attended by the supervisors who do the hiring for college leagues.  I know that the El Paso Camp gets alot of participation from California officials as do the Stars & Stripes Camp and the Camps offered by CFO West.  Gerald Austin's camp is in Florida, but his conference has hired officials from the West Coast.  Harold Mitchell's camp and the Tom Beard camp are also great places to learn and perhaps be seen.  In addition to the camps, get to know the JUCO assignors in your area.