Gas prices continue on their upward climb.
For those who are adamantly opposed to even discussing a pay rate increase or a fuel surcharge on our invoices, my only question would be, "How's that working out for you?"
Gas prices are close to $5/gallon in California and nearly $4/gallon in DFW.
Might be an issue worth re-visiting...
15 comments:
Ask the same question of the college coaches in the metroplex who won't pay mileage for out of town officials. I guess they are happy with those strange scenarios you keep publishing.
If you live where there are toll roads, you need to include that expense also. One can print off a listing of the tolls charged to you. You might be suprised how much it costs to get to some sites.
For me to go to TCU or UTA the tolls cost $10. Not fun.
Take public roads in lieu of the toll roads. Better yet, if you don't want to spend money on gas, stay at home.
The reason colleges can get away with not paying any mileage or travel-related expenses such as tolls is that you let them get away with it.
UTA is the only school I know of that pays for the tolls but they only do it for the referee if he/she has to come on the toll roads.
They are to be commended for this for sure...
If your assignor or ITA area coordinator is not negotiating match fees for umpires to compensate fairly for the work, then
that's where your complaints should be, not at the coaches.
AMEN BROTHER (anon 9:57 am)!
Why don't you ITA coordinators get off your butts and grow some and support your officials! I drive 50+ miles to get to a match and get paid crap and then I read what you get paid!?
No wonder you kiss up - and YES i will stop working for you - that is terrible that you don't stand up for us officials that work for you day in and day out!
I would rather move back to houston and work for people that care for their officials than take the crap pay that you get for us!
VERY GLAD TO HEAR YOU GET YOUR TOLLS PAID! *^$*$%*%# <-- ... that was a CODE VIOLATION!
I'm not real sure why you are so upset. As coordinators in the Metroplex we get paid absolutely nothing for arranging matches, checking to see they are staffed, taking care of cancellations, and all the other stuff that goes into a collegiate match.
A referee in the Metroplex gets $15 more than the umpires--and trust me, its not always worth the difference in pay for the hassles you have to put up with. Not all coaches nor officials are easy to work with.
Everyone who works as a referee at UTA matches appreciates their thoughtfulness in paying for the tolls. Maybe someday all the coaches in the Metroplex will do the same for all the officials.
I don't know of any coordinator that doesn't stand up for their officials by the way.
As coordinator for TCU collegiate matches, it really annoys me when people complain about how much they are getting paid. Making $125- $140 for working a 3-4 hour match seems very reasonable to me. On occasion, we may be required to work longer due to inclement weather but that doesn't happen very often. Hell, maybe we should revert to the USTA pay scales where you will only make around $90 for working a 6-hour shift. Will that make you happier?
In addition, TCU always provides a lunch for the officials, unlike many local USTA events.
As a side note - TCU used to use 6 officials for every Men's and Women's match. But because our rates have gone up, fewer officials are getting an opportunity to work a collegiate match since the coaches are cutting back on the number of officials used to stay within their budgets.
If I didn't think so much of the Houston Coordinator, I would invite you to please return to Houston.
Maybe the anonymous complainer should make a right turn on Highway 190 in Madisonville and end up in College Station. Based on their disposition, they would fit in very well with the local coordinator there.
Me even thinks Eeyore would agree!!!
So you want to be a professional tennis official and get paid those big bucks! Think again.
Here's the payscale for those with high ambitions.
Gold and Silver Badge Chair Umpire: $135/Day
Bronze Badge Chair Umpire: $120/Day
White Badge Chair Umpire: $110/Day
Non-Badge Chair Umpire: $105/Day
Assistant Referee/Supervisor: $215/Day
Deputy Referee/Supervisor: $180/Day
Did you pick up on the common theme to the rates depicted above? Yes, it's the TOTAL amount of money you will be able to earn on a DAILY basis for doing such a fine job.
And to think there are some people that give up their day jobs and venture to do this "FULL TIME." So the next time you watch your fellow "professional" officials calling out scores on TV, you can sit back next to me, drinking an ice-cold beer and laugh out loud at how utterly stupid they really are. Remember, no retirement bennies, no sick-time, no health care, nada.
Guess working college and local USTA matches really isn't that bad after all.
I just briefly mentioned a pay increase due to higher gas prices and by the reaction of some officials you would think I had wanted to kill their pet mongoose...
The rates at SMU, UNT, and UTA will be going up next year so if you don't like it, don't ask to work there. If you do, come on over and let's do some good matches.
Good Matches?? OUCH!!
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