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Gotta say, Michael, that's nothing but a bunch of excuses.
1) Fitness: If you are fit, you take it once a year. Unfit, multiple times. That is called incentive. Make it part of the certification class. Not exactly undoable.
2) Assessors: As described above, ONLY at a single match involving an official with multiple, recurring strikes on post-game evals by coaches. In other words, rarely.
3) Nobody asked for ANY of that -- just people who meet a minimal fitness standard, are willing and able to keep up with play, and make an effort to get it right. Answer: YOU CAN!!!
4) The "threat" of not having enough officials is a smokescreen. My guess would be, develop a level of pride and consistency in training and evaluation, and you might get MORE YOUNG PEOPLE into officiating. People who want to be the best want to work with the best.
In summary, I would GLADLY give my time on a regular basis to meet with assigners, evaluators, etc., in an effort to develop a better system. What we have now is limping along. We CAN make it better, if established officials (such as yourself) would get on board and stop with the litany of excuses.

I told myself that I would leave this discussion when Backscreen said that he would be willing to listen to any “LEGITIMATE” officials. Despite my refereeing resume, I’m not sure I meet that standard.

However, as a long time parent, coach, fan and referee, and especially as the dad of a young referee that Mr. Shealy has provided mentorship to, I need to say that I fully support the efforts of people like him, and less so the on-line rantings of anonymous Internet posters (of which I am one).

Is everything perfect in HS refereeing? Most certainly not in my area of the state.
Am I doing everything I can to improve it? Probably not.
Am I going to try to make it better? Yes, on the pitch, not on a discussion board.

Backscreen, while you raise some great points, and I wish we could implement your vision for the future of refereeing, please refrain from telling a person like Michael that he’s got “nothing but a bunch of excuses.” He’s a class act.

FWIW:

Been out of the game for several years. Thought about maybe getting back into it. Went to an organizational meeting, same general leadership, same general discussion about ways to make it better.

Been reading this, the annual referees stink thread. Different vocal posters, same general comments, same general concepts about how to make it better.

End result, I will continue to enjoy my time being an occasional spectator.

same topic on-going for 10+ years.

Usually for things to change from the way “it’s always been” requires a change at the top level and not the bottom. Adding new talent at the bottom doesn’t work since the ones at the top are protecting their “turf”. And, too much promotion from within makes it more challenging for progressive change to take place or new ideas to be considered. Change is hard to make work and takes solid leadership at the top to make it happen.

Lurker2: "Excuses" may seem harsh to you. Give me a better word for a general unwillingness to implement, or even consider, the most basic, common-sense suggestions. All I ever hear is: 1) How much it would cost; 2) How hard current officials have it now; and/or 3) It's not logistically possible.
NOTHING I have suggested above is prohibitively expensive, time-consuming or unrealistic. All it suggests is a standard.
As to anonymity, I am willing to meet with any official, or group of officials, face-to-face, at a mutually agreeable place/time to discuss ideas to improve this aspect of the game. I am easy to contact right here.
I have yet to hear from ANYONE.

Backscreen, provide your name, number, and private email address so someone can contact you. If you are unwilling, you are just another message board "troll".

I will respond to ANY message sent directly to me via the private message component on this board.

TROLL

Just sent you a message.

And just sent one to Michael.