How To Hire The Right ITA & UILOfficials

In a collegiate or UIL dual match when something goes wrong and an official makes a bad or erroneous decision, who gets blamed???  The referee/coordinator for sure...

One of the hardest parts of being a coordinator is making the decisions about whom to hire and whom not to hire; however, that responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the coordinator so we need to follow some basic guidelines to keep from hiring a "bad apple" or an official who is going to consistently underperform or make bad decisions.

Our goal is to keep from hiring an official who either cannot or will not fulfill their duties as an official.  When dealing with human beings this is always difficult but we need to learn to follow some guidelines to see us through the process.

1.  Check their past job performance and references.  Don't underestimate or overestimate their value but discern where the truth is.  Noone is going to list a bad reference to always keep that in mind.

2.  Meet with them in person.  Don't hire someone just on a reference, whim, or phone call.  Check out their personal hygiene, how they dress, and what their car looks like.  All of these things make up a person so pay attention.

3.  Take them out to eat.  An absolute must is to observe them in a social setting and see how they conduct themselves.  A good tip is to avoid tennis officiating talk and move into other areas so you can discern their value system.

4.  Question them about their decision making process.  You need to know how they are going to do when they are under pressure so ASK them questions that will give you some insight into their thought patterns.

5.  Check their Facebook page and social media postings.  That will tell you a whole lot...

6.  Take them out with a group of other officials and see how they react and interact.  If they can't socialize correctly then you probably don't want to hire them.  When you are through meeting with a group, ask your closest friends to evaluate them.  They can and should give you some good advice.

7.  Keep your eyes open and watch how they live.  Discerning every aspect of their life will give you insight into how they are going to perform as an official.  Check how they interact, how they treat others, how they drive their car, and how they deal with people who disagree with them.  All of these are vital ingredients you need to use in making your decisions.

Remember--the buck stops with you as the referee or the coordinator so it is imperative to do your homework and hire the right people.  If you aren't doing your job, it will show in those that you hire...

The bottom line with coaches, universities, and school districts is that they want the "best bang for their buck" and they have the right to that expectation.  If you hire the wrong people, you are burning up their money so do the right thing--hire the right folks!