Austin Chapter Volleyball Newsletter 2016
Issue 15
10/09/2016
Next Meeting
The next mandatory meeting for all members will be held at the Austin Police Union Hall on October 12th at 6:30PM. Pizza will be available beginning at 6PM until it is gone.
Playoff Availability Form
The Playoff Availability Form is now available on austinvolleyballofficials.com. Please complete and get it to Marilyn no later than the October 12th meeting. The UIL and TAPPS Playoff Pay Sheets have also been added. Note that some concerns had been expressed about the wording on the form and it has been updated.
Elections
The nomination process for open board positions will start at the meeting on October 12th. The vote will be conducted by secret ballot at the final meeting of season in November. The following positions will be open and nominations accepted: Vice-President, Assigning Secretary, Recording Secretary and At-Large Representative #2.
A Personal Note from the VP and Newsletter Editor
As noted above, elections will be held at the final meeting of the season. I believe sometimes many members believe that those of us on the board, particularly those who have been in office for an extended period of time, are “lifers” so to speak. This should never prevent you from running for a position or getting involved to help make this the best Chapter in the State. Even if you are pleased with the way the chapter is being run and are happy with the people in office, “new blood” is always welcome. This all leads me to let you know that I will personally not be running for Vice-President this year. It is time to take a break and enjoy more grandkid time. I encourage anyone interested in running for Vice-President who has questions about what the position entails to contact me.
A Personal Note from the Assigner
I just wanted to take a minute to thank all of those who have believed in me over the past 10 years. Thank you for your support in my ongoing efforts to take care of the Volleyball athletes of our area. I am also announcing that I will not be running for Assigner this year. It is also time for me to take a break. Please contact me if you are interested in learning more about what all is involved in Assigning for the Chapter. You might want to know that work begins as soon as January for the new season.
Middle School Matches – Patience Pills
We continue to receive reports of “grumpy” referees at middle school matches. Sometimes, the officials may actually be grumpy, but most times that is only a perception of the coaches based upon some of the calls made or interactions with the coaches. For instance, a referee arrives at a middle school and while checking the net notices that the metal connectors at the bottom of the net are missing the little Velcro covers. The referee immediately approaches the coach and says, “Coach, you know we can’t play the match without the metal being covered”. Immediately, the coach becomes defensive and perceives the referee as being grumpy. Remember, as opposed to high school matches where most of the players already know what to do and there are a number of experienced coaches that take care of details like this, that is not the case at most middle schools. Many middle school coaches may be the only coach for their grade level for both the A and B teams. They may be new. They may not even really know the rules and protocols. Many are still learning. In these cases, we need to be the facilitators and teachers of the game. A better approach: the referee goes to the coach and says, “Coach, I was checking the net and noticed the metal connectors are missing the little protective sleeves. You know we need those covered?”
When the coach responds that they didn’t know or they can’t find them the referee responds, “No problem, coach. Yes, we have to have them covered for the safety of the players. If you can’t find the sleeves, we can use a towel and some athletic tape to cover them.” Now, you the referee has become a friendly facilitator rather than a grumpy old fart.
I always take a “patience pill” before entering a middle school gym. Early in the season, when entering a gym for 7th grade matches, I might take several. Remember, particularly at the middle school level, all of the players should be there to learn and enjoy the game of volleyball – the referee should be doing everything they can to make that happen.
Haven’t Been Paid Properly for a Match?
Some members have expressed concerns about various schools or districts either being slow to pay or not paying mileage or other issues with pay. In an effort to determine if there are specific schools or districts that have regular issues, there is a form located on the Match Tools page – click on “What If?”.
This form also contains the steps to follow if it has been 30 days since your match and you have not been paid. Please complete the form if you have encountered problems with pay.