What to do about inept officials is an age old question--and one about which I am not sure there is a pat answer. Those in authority have ruminated about this issue for years and have struggled to find cures that actually work; but alas, I think they may be to no avail.We have all seen ineptness in officiating and it is always relevant. Sometimes it is uneventful and without cost but sometimes it is devastating and has huge consequences. In order to deal with this issue, I would suggest the following:
1. Teach and train until we are blue in the face. We already do this a lot but we're not home yet. More can and should be done...
2. Individualize training when possible. The best way for an official to learn is to see it done and observe it personally. This is not always feasible but we should at least strive for perfection.
3. Get the Texas Section to sponsor more training events.
4. Identify those officials who are habitually inept and enroll them in specialized training (required). This will have to be done on the local level but it can and should happen. The local organizations need to take the lead in this area.
5. Put offending officials on probation or remove them if they refuse training.
6. Just as there are penalties for offending parents, there should be penalties for inept officials. We are now at the stage where we are paid a good wage for our work and they should get a good product for their money.
7. Do all we can do to enlist new members. This won't cure the problem but at least we will have a new crop of officials to choose from...
These are just a few suggestions. I would welcome hearing any comments you might like to make...
3 comments:
I think each of these steps are good ideas. I would hope that somewhere along the way, a struggling official would be able to make the necessary changes and become an asset to the profession.
This is a discussion that we go through every year or so. Each time there are many good suggestions. However, the one that never seems to get any support - the one that always seems to be left out - the easiest way to deal with an inept official: quit hiring them to work your events.
Referees should always be willing to teach and make suggestions for improvements in the officials they hire. When that doesn't work, then tell them that you aren't going to use them for awhile and explain why. Give them another chance later and explain that they are getting their final chance. If the problems continue: QUIT HIRING THEM.
Officials who get fewer and fewer assignments should eventually get the message. If they don't get the message, then they need to look for something else to do.
Most referees could get together and make a list of problem officials they have in common -- and you will find that these officials continue to work events for some of these referees. Why is this? What am I missing?
If I am totally wrong here, would someone with more knowledge please write and explain it to me.
It takes true leadership to weed out the incompetent officials. It seems everyone in charge is afraid to make a decision because of a continued threat of litigation.
Get rid of them. Not everyone is cut out to be a tennis official. What do you think this is, Little League?
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