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Posted

"Northern Kentucky football officials get paid $95 a game. In Southwest Ohio, officials make $90 per game. According to Fick, officials get to a 7 p.m. game around 5:30 p.m., leaving their house at 4:30 or 5 p.m. The game lasts until about 10 p.m., with the official getting home by 11 p.m. at the earliest. The total time commitment of nearly six hours brings the pay rate to just more than minimum wage. Officials are also responsible for their own expenses, including gas, equipment and mandatory classes."

Exactly what I have been focusing on for a few years now. As Independent Contractors, your time is door to door. When you factor in the taxes and the above listed expenses, it's LESS than minimum wage. Most of my baseball games are a 4-5 hour commitment.

I like all the things they are trying to do to attract more officials, but none of them included more pay and less abuse.

You want more sports officials? Pay more, and take concrete steps to curtail the abuse. Period. Anything else, you're just chasing your tail.

Where are all the officials?

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Posted
4 hours ago, JonnyCat said:

but none of them included more pay and less abuse.

… or less restrictions, or less requirements (“you must purchase and wear this shirt (and hat)!”), or waived fees & dues (heaven forbid the assigner doesn’t get his cut!), or any kind of facility accommodations beyond “change in the parking lot, fellas! But don’t do so in view of a Karen or any kids!” 

I swear, on this last point, High Schools actively don’t want women officials for softball or baseball, because that would force the issue of locker room / facilities access. 

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Posted
3 hours ago, MadMax said:

… or less restrictions, or less requirements (“you must purchase and wear this shirt (and hat)!”), or waived fees & dues (heaven forbid the assigner doesn’t get his cut!), or any kind of facility accommodations beyond “change in the parking lot, fellas! But don’t do so in view of a Karen or any kids!” 

I swear, on this last point, High Schools actively don’t want women officials for softball or baseball, because that would force the issue of locker room / facilities access. 

 

Damn, Max.  What bougies high schools are you calling at that they provide you locker room and facilities access?  My changing station is two of the four doors of my locker room open next to my partner's vehicle.

Since we are ranting . . . 

Love that my state associations set post season pay at the lowest rate available and seemingly no longer allow schools to up that pay to their normal rate.  2.5 hour game in 55 degree non-stop drizzle for $65.  I normally refuse post-season for this reason, but it was 5 minutes from my house.  What pushed my buttons was when we walked off, the AD had the gall to say, "You guys earned every penny today!"  They normally pay $90, with a time limit.  But I earned every penny of that 60% pay in miserable weather for a longer game . . . I like her, but that pissed me off.

Worked the next game with the local conference assignor (not the guy who assigned these games).  After the game, some guy stopped to talk to us briefly while were changing and mentioned he worked that conference.  After he walked away, the assignor asked me if I knew who the hell that was.  He said, "I just pull names off the state's website and plug them in for games, so I don't know who a lot of these guys are that work for me."  

 

Thankfully, my season is done and I am refusing anything else, because I am in the mood to not come back in the spring.  It will pass.  Maybe.  It is the lack of appreciation and the attitude of entitlement to umpires that is harshing my mellow.  Kudos to the soccer teams in the article who canceled games.  That is what it will take.  As long as we keep giving, nothing will change and we get nothing in return.

 

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Posted
17 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

As long as we keep giving, nothing will change and we get nothing in return.

Exactly!

The only thing we've done is work more games with less people. Virtually nothing has been done to curtail the shortage of officials. I'm looking directly at you, NFHS.

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Posted
18 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

After the game, some guy stopped to talk to us briefly while were changing and mentioned he worked that conference.  After he walked away, the assignor asked me if I knew who the hell that was.  He said, "I just pull names off the state's website and plug them in for games, so I don't know who a lot of these guys are that work for me."  

@Kevin_K - sounds like Man in Blue works for the same HS assigner as us. 😂

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Posted
On 9/29/2024 at 1:07 AM, The Man in Blue said:

 

Damn, Max.  What bougies high schools are you calling at that they provide you locker room and facilities access?  

Someone on here posted that where they work high schools are REQUIRED to provide changing facilities for ALL scholastic officials. I want to say that was somewhere in CA, maybe? If anyone recalls, please post/link...

While I agree it would be nice to not have to change in the parking lot, with respect to baseball, unless they build an umpire's shack near the field for most of the scholastic fields I work, the "commute" from the parking lot to the school to change and then to the field would be...sub-optimal.

The part of game-prep/maintenance that's more of a concern for me is the lack of restroom/porta-potty facilities at all the fields. As someone with kidney problems and a weak bladder, I really don't like having to pee in public places but, there often is no other option. I do my best to be discreet but, I'm anticipating hearing the dreaded, "Pardon me, sir..."

~Dawg

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Posted
On 9/28/2024 at 10:07 PM, The Man in Blue said:

the assignor asked me if I knew who the hell that was.  He said, "I just pull names off the state's website and plug them in for games, so I don't know who a lot of these guys are that work for me."

What assignor in his/her right mind would admit that? Zero social situational awareness.

I suppose that's one advantage of being in a small(er) association--we only have 12-15 regular umpires, so everyone knows everyone. I use that for personal motivation:  reputation is everything here, so I work hard to be as good as I can all the time. The downside to a small association is getting assigned to games with some guys that will never do a varsity game and look very...frumpy (Cup Check Guy, IYKYK). I guess I should be thankful they at least have non-navy shirts...

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Posted
3 hours ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

The part of game-prep/maintenance that's more of a concern for me is the lack of restroom/porta-potty facilities at all the fields

 

On 9/29/2024 at 1:07 AM, The Man in Blue said:

My changing station is two of the four doors of my locker room open next to my partner's vehicle.

One side's the changing station, the other is the restroom. 

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Posted
2 hours ago, 834k3r said:

What assignor in his/her right mind would admit that? Zero social situational awareness.

I suppose that's one advantage of being in a small(er) association--we only have 12-15 regular umpires, so everyone knows everyone. I use that for personal motivation:  reputation is everything here, so I work hard to be as good as I can all the time. The downside to a small association is getting assigned to games with some guys that will never do a varsity game and look very...frumpy (Cup Check Guy, IYKYK). I guess I should be thankful they at least have non-navy shirts...

I know this happens in at least two sports in New Jersey.

New state assignors were appointed in baseball and volleyball (boys and girls) in 2023. One had never assigned anything and the other has a wonderful softball assigning business.

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Posted
8 hours ago, 834k3r said:

What assignor in his/her right mind would admit that? Zero social situational awareness.


Oh no, only the best here!  I know it because he wore his navy shirt with 9 different patches for post season assignments on the sleeve.

He was the kind of partner who didn’t stop talking long enough listen to a word I said, pre-, in-, and post game.  

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Posted
1 hour ago, The Man in Blue said:


Oh no, only the best here!  I know it because he wore his navy shirt with 9 different patches for post season assignments on the sleeve.

He was the kind of partner who didn’t stop talking long enough listen to a word I said, pre-, in-, and post game.  

I know that guy….sans the patches. 😂

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Posted
15 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

Oh no, only the best here!  I know it because he wore his navy shirt with 9 different patches for post season assignments on the sleeve.

He was the kind of partner who didn’t stop talking long enough listen to a word I said, pre-, in-, and post game.  

I want to simultaneously laugh and cry at this post.

 

13 hours ago, Richvee said:

I know that guy….sans the patches. 😂

I think we all do. 😢

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