All through life from the workplace to the marketplace we find that age old principle that a bad apple can spoil things for everyone--and that is true in our glorious officiating world.BUT... to counter that thought, I honestly believe that even though we have some "bad apples" we also have a whole bunch of "really good apples" in tennis officiating. The modern media always seems to glamorize the negative but I think we always come out ahead if we accentuate the positive and build up those who are doing things the right way.
Since my tennis officiating life is spent primarily in the ITA and training worlds, I thought I would offer these thoughts:
1. A bad apple is seldom found, but where they exist, they cause a lot of problems.
2. A bad apple shows up most when its with a bunch of good apples.
3. The owner of the basket should take quick steps to remove or remedy a bad apple because they can quickly ruin everything around them.
4. The best way to determine a bad apple is to look at what comes out of their mouth and the fruit that they produce in their lives.
5. The quickest cure for a bad apple is just don't hire them.
6. When you are training new, good apples be sure that you do so with plenty of praise and good instruction. Browbeating a new official doesn't do anything other than produce a bruised apple.
7. Teach the good apples to avoid the bad apples. They survive on their ability to influence and corrupt others and when that is taken away, they have nothing to do.
8. When the bad apples are in leadership, work to put good apples in their place. It may take time but its worth it.
Sometimes the contrast between a good apple and a bad one are obvious to all around. Keep your eyes open--and run from the bad ones...
Sometimes the contrast between a good apple and a bad one are obvious to all around. Keep your eyes open--and run from the bad ones...
In reality, some bad apples are bad because "the devil made them do it" and then they loved it so much, they kept on doing it themselves...
5 comments:
Thank you for #5!
Everyone talks about training and re-training and re-training etc. etc. But what ultimately needs to happen in some cases is to quit hiring them. They will either get the message and make changes (and beg to try again) or they disappear because they never belonged in this line of work to begin with.
As for #8:
Good Luck! Some people are in positions for life . . . and who knows, maybe even longer! They are anointed by those above them who have very little idea about what really goes on on court. Its a systemic problem more than anything else. And some systems are hardened in concrete and thus harder to change than individuals.
There are only a few bad apples I've been exposed to in my officiating career and I've learned the following:
1) When an assigner schedules you to work a tournament because they are begging for experienced officials and then cancel your assignment at 9pm the night before you are supposed to report to the courts and replace you with a trainee, I place them on my DO NOT USE list.
2) When an official calls me to cancel matches they have signed up for informing me they have a conflict with a Big 12 match, although my assignments were sent out AFTER the Big 12 assignments were made, I place them on my RESTRICTED USE list unless it continues for a second year, at which point they get promoted to my DO NOT USE list.
3) When other officials complain about certain officials because they don't play well with others or are too over-bearing, I place them on my DO NOT USE list.
4) When officials would rather read a novel during a dual match and not show up to the court when their designated match is scheduled to go on the court, the players are waiting, and the official whom just finished the previous match is required to work their match as well, I place them on my DOUBLE RESTRICTED LIST and if the subsequently do something to offend me, then they get promoted to my DO NOT USE list.
5) When an official goes behind my back and tries to convince the coaches to allow him/her to schedule all of their matches instead of me, I place them on my BANNED FOR LIFE list.
6) When an official is kissing ass and trying to climb up the professional circuit ladder, signs up for matches I'm responsible for, and then makes really dumb mistakes because they think they suddenly know more about officiating than the "non-professional officials", I place them on my RESTRICTED USE list and only use them as the last and final resort.
7) When coaches complain about certain officials and it becomes obvious that the complaints are not a one-time incident, I place them on my DO NOT USE list. If I don't do that, then I'm afraid the offended coach will place me on THEIR "DO NOT USE" list and that can't happen.
Hope this helps.
I like the concept of using a a hierarchical list for bad-apple officials. Maybe a new award should be bestowed on those officials worthy of such honor.
Would a 'Dumb-Ass' official be considered a 'Bad Apple'?? Just wondering!!
I definitely know one bad-ass apple from Texas.
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