Now that the new year has begun its time for us all to get busy recruiting some new officials. We are in dire need of more qualified ITA officials in Texas especially and the only way to recruit them is for all of us to be watchful and open to including new people.
We have a huge attrition rate for our new officials and one of the primary reasons is because they take the test, buy the shirt, go to the school--and then noone uses them... We need to get to work remedying this problem.
One of the main ways is to recruit the right people in the beginning. Here are some of the criteria that are important when recruiting a new official:
1. They should love tennis. If you don't, you won't last long. Be sure they understand that their new job involves conflict and human interaction.
2. They should play tennis. The best officials are the ones who play tennis and hopefully at a 3.0 level or above.
3. They are clean and well kept in their personal appearance. We lose and fire some because they can't stay clean...
4. They shouldn't be overweight. I know this is a touchy issue but an overweight official usually gets scorned by the players.
5. They need to play well with others. Check to see if they have basic human skills before inviting them to join us.
6. Be sure they understand the cost of becoming an official. They need a USTA card ($42), a shirt ($49), shorts, belt, shoes, sunscreen, hat to just start doing the job so it has its expenses.
7. Be sure they can pass a background check. No sense wasting anyone's time if they can't.
8. Be sure they can pass a drug screening test. This one will be coming soon if they can find a way to exempt the pro chairs.
9. Preferably they should be a UT fan or former player but if not, most any college background will do...
10. Be sure they can read, write, and speak English in an intelligible manner. Nothing against illegal immigrants but you can understand the need at this point.
11. Be sure they understand that they don't always get paid within two days and remind them that they are never to call the school's athletic director and ask where their money is.
12. Be sure they understand that some of the cheaper tournaments in DFW and around the state will not provide them lunch and/or supper. You might include some counseling about choosing which referees they want to work for.
13. Be sure they understand that working conditions may not always be perfect. Sometimes we freeze, sometimes we cook, and sometimes we're there all night long...
14. Remind them that the pay is good now so they need to be able to deliver a day's work for a day's pay.
15. Find people who know how to have fun and have a sense of humor. Without both of these you won't make it very long.
16. Don't hire anyone who wears their sexual identity on their sleeve. Noone cares whether you straight, gay, or a green Chinese monkey so keep things private that belong private.
17. Don't enlist people who brag about all the people they have sued.
18. Don't enlist people who are horndogs. We have enough of those already!
19. Don't enlist people who are always telling you how much they know about everything and how they are always right.
17 comments:
You forgot one key point. Make sure they know they are NOT entitled to a 15-minute break every hour. We are normally required to work 10 hours straight without a break. This is an important point.
You need to also tell the new officials to kiss butt whenever possible. The true golddiggers will quickly figure out those in charge and will become their puppy dogs until they can stab them in the back at a later date.
Of course in order to succeed one most know the appropriate butts to kiss.
Great! The first 2 comments are loaded with pessimism!
That's really what we want potential ITA officials to read.
I enlisted four new officials in the past three months just looking around at tournaments. They are out there but we need to be aggressive in our recruiting.
Wowww
The DFW officials list is getting ready to greatly expand. Rumor has it that DFW will be getting a significent transfer official soon. The LUNCH aspect of the DFW assignments was the deal clincher on the move.
Lo, I have heard said rumor also. If what I think is true, then food figures in greatly for that one.
And the cancer will destroy our organization unless we can get it excised quickly.
For proof, just look at what happened at the HTUA.
Eeyore will be very happy to hear the good news if rumors are true.
What news would that be? Does it have to do with my most favorite official in the whole wide world from near Houston?
I can't wait to hear the good news. Now I will be on the edge of my seat anxiously awaiting more intel.
Eeyore,
Its so nice to have you back among us. Remember to be nice...
So what gives? Is SL gone from the officiating world. That is one rumor I've been hearing from some of my official friends in the know. I just can't confirm it.
If that is true, then 2011 will be the best year ever.
Eeyore,
You will be happy to know that I just went into NUCULA and it says your favorite person is NOT CERTIFIED as a USTA official.
I know this makes your day. FYI - there will be a lot of rejoicing from other officials as well.
Holy Crap! So how can this person work USTA events if she is not certified? It must be a mistake.
Good to read a screed that identifies the very problems that sicken the good among us.
But, Very high schoolish pettiness exhibited here re the jibes and slurs
for the 'certain official everyone knows',
but then when you are not around, are you the 'certain oficial'
whose roasting is now the catnip for the anointed clique officials?,
especially chosen for their high value tennis officiating bureaucratic skills, but lack the love of tennis, and experience in it, before NTRP.
The USTA officialdom is concerned with product volume, not widget quality.
Advocating the tyranny of the bean counters, and the credential mongers.
Good guidelines;
one more is avoid the officials now circulating who answer a greeting of
Hello, How are You? with the detailed description of their recent work record and who was there, and where they will be working next week and endless future dates.
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