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Absolutely NOT. I would guess that at least half of the officials currently working in Maine today have very little, or no experience in the sport of volleyball. That being said, it does make it easier to learn the job if one brings a certain level of understanding to the position.
Becoming certified is actually the easy part. That can be accomplished in a about a month, by taking the rules and mechanics clinics and passing the NFHS (National Federation of High State Associations) volleyball exam.
It's the practical experience that takes time. The more you work the more you'll learn, and become more comfortable on the court.
There is a significant expense to becoming a certified high school volleyball official, but it is all relative. Compared to sports like baseball, softball, and ice hockey, it is relatively inexpensive to become a volleyball official.
Annual registration fees start at $60 for MAVO (high school only). You must also register annually with the NFHS ($35) through their online registration platform; Dragonfly. This is where the annual exam is administered.
The State of Maine requires all sports officials to have a background check and fingerprints on file. This costs $55 and $15, respectively. These certifications are good for five years, and must be renewed to continue working after five years. It can take up to two months or more to complete these requirements, so the sooner you apply, the better. No one can be assigned to work as a sports official in Maine until this has been completed.
Your uniform budget can run from between $100 and perhaps $250, depending on the quality of pants and shoes you choose. Remember it's an investment. A good pair of navy slacks can last you your entire career. Also, remember, that you'll be on your feet a good portion of every assignment, so a quality, comfortable pair of shoes is essential. Shoes must be: plain white, leather, clean with rubber gym shoe soles, and should have good support. Expect to spend $75-100 on your shoes. Again, if you get a quality shoe, they should last you for many years.
Our default uniform shirt color is white. These must be the official, licensed, volleyball officials shirts, with the logo on the left sleeve. There are also two other colors: cyan blue, and grey. Officials MUST have matching shirts during all assignments. If you only purchase one shirt to start, you must have a white shirt. These run about $40-45 each. Sizes tend to run a little on the smaller size.
There is also equipment that every official MUST have, as well as a small gig-bag to carry things like whistles, ball pump, air-pressure gauge, net measuring chain, sanction cards, tossing coin, as well as any other personal items. You'll also need a set of line judge flags. Expect to pay $100-$125 for your essential equipment.
The official season runs from about Labor Day through the third week of October, with the playoffs and state championship concluding around October 31.
High school volleyball assignments typically begin 30 minutes prior to the start of the first match (JV). So if your first match begins at 4:30, you are required to be courtside, in uniform, no later than 4 p.m. This means you should be at the venue by 3:30 to get dressed, meet with your partner, and be mentally and physically prepared to begin working on time.
JV matches are typically 60 minutes or less. The Varsity matches will begin 30 minutes following the JV match, and can last from about an hour (3 sets) to close to two hours (5 sets).
Officials are expected to be in the gym, and in control of the pre-match warm-ups, the captains/coaches meetings, and the matches.
MAVO officials are required to debrief with their partner after each assignment.
Absolutely! Already having certain universal officiating skills such as game management, interpersonal communication, time management, preventative officiating techniques, and the professionalism that comes with being a sports official is half the job. Learning the rules, the mechanics, the "do's and don't's" of officiating are the other half. Many of our MAVO officials officiate one, or even three other sports.
High school volleyball officials probably make more per assignment than any other sports official in the state because almost every assignment is a double header. Nearly all of our assignments include a JV and a varsity match. On occasion they can also include a freshman match. Varsity volleyball matches in Maine, in 2024, will pay $95, and JV and freshman matches pay $71.50 each. We will also be paid $.50 per mile from our home to the venue and back. So nearly every volleyball assignment starts at $166.50 (+ mileage).
There are a number of factors that determine the number of assignments you can receive in your first (and subsequent) seasons:
Oftentimes new officials can expect two to three assignments per week through the season. Sometimes even more, especially if they are available on short notice, or have a flexible schedule.
Assignments can be offered M-F, and occasionally on Saturdays. High School sports in Maine are not held on Sundays.
(updated: June 13, 2024)
Your first assignment will likely be a combination JV/Varsity double header, so . . . Day One. We will do everything we can to make sure you are capable and up to the task IF you take advantage of all the training and assistance we offer you.
No matter how much we can teach you prior to your first assignment, you'll most likely not really be ready to handle everything that can happen during a volleyball match. Don't worry. We always have a more experienced, veteran official paired with our new officials to help in every situation.
The goal is to learn something new every time you step on the court. There are hundreds (probably thousands) of little things that go into making a good volleyball official. It's the same with every sport. As long as you're progressing with each match, and each season: putting your entire self into the job, you will get better.
Our preseason training typically begins at the end of June and continues throughout July and August. We have on-court opportunities, as well as classroom studies for rules and mechanics and a good number of our veteran officials are more than happy and qualified to help bring you along.
Tons. Start with the NFHS.org website. They have some great videos for officials of all levels. YouTube is also a good resource. There are a number of good videos to be found right on the home page of the MAVO website as well.
Of course. We have several experienced, qualified, well-trained officials who are more than happy to work with new officials, and several who can be "on-call" to help you go from being a wide-eyed rookie to a seasoned volleyball referee.
Added June 5, 2024
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