bahudgins

Having done the job before, the check is nice - but it would take a fool to do this solely for the check. Let's look at the outlays - TSSAA fees, association membership fees and assigning fees (that's about $150); add in the cost of a couple of uniforms - shirts, pants, patches, whistles and shoes (that's another $150); most of the varsity officials have to pay to go to a "camp" to work summer games for free every other year (you read that right, and another $100 plus two days' vacation out of pocket); then in the preseason, you're required to work (for free) preseason "play days," scrimmages and jamborees that raise funds for the hosting teams; then you get to spend a couple of hours every other week during the season sitting through rules meetings; then you spend part of your gameday at your regular job coordinating with your partners and the game administration regarding that night's assignment (with the distinct possibility that the game time or site will get moved, or you may get changed to a different game at the last minute because of an emergency elsewhere); then you spend a couple of seasons toiling through 4pm middle school and JV games before you ever see the varsity floor. My point...most of the people who do this job (in any sport, at any level) are doing it because they love being in or around the game. The check is nice, but the $105 for a B/G varsity doubleheader (MUCH LESS for middle school and JV games) is peanuts compared to the level of effort and dedication that most of these individuals put into the job. For the record, I loved it - and would do it again - but my knees gave out and my work schedule became prohibitive. I made lots of friends - officials, administrators, coaches and parents alike. Those who would dare say that large numbers of these people are doing the job for "easy money" clearly have no concept whatsoever of what the total job entails.