I've been a basketball official for over 30 years and I'm looking forward to many more years to come. I've meet so many people that I never ever would have meet otherwise. I've made lifelong friends both on and off the court because of this wonderful sport. I also passed along some free advice to basketball fans and coaches.
As I get ready to put on the stripes again, I have a question for you this: Why don't you join me and be a part of something that is SO MUCH BIGGER than ourselves...Become a basketball official with me.
As you probably know, basketball is running into the same problem that almost every other New York High School sport is running into. It's the lack of officials to officiate the games. There are many reasons that this can be attributed to but instead of focusing on the past, let's look to the future.
There so many positives to being an official. You can make a little money on the side and in this economy every little bit helps. I know a few guys that use the extra money to pay for their golf membership. The money is nice but the other aspects are so much better.
It's a great way to interact with the young men and women of today, get in shape while getting paid and meeting so many incredible people. We all come from different walks of life and I think it's awesome that we can get together over the game of basketball.
Being an basketball official helps to make the winter go by faster. The season starts around mid to late November and goes until early March. Next thing you know, winter is over and spring is right around the corner.
For me, it's a privilege to be able to give something back while getting so much in return. If you have a love for this thing called basketball, I hope you'll join us and see for yourself. Before you know it, you could be doing this.
Looking For Southern Tier Basketball Officials For the 2024-2025 Season
If you're interested in the exciting challenge of officiating basketball, there are a couple of things that you can do. We do extensive hands on training of the rules, mechanics and regulations.
It's Not Too Late To Join Us
If you missed last week's meeting, it's not too late to join us. Our next meeting is tonight (Monday, September 29th) at the Binghamton West Middle School Auditorium at 6 p.m. Just show up and we'll help you from there.. Here is our schedule:
Board 49 Basketball Pre-Season Meeting Dates 2025-26 Basketball Season
| DATE | DAY | TIME | TYPE | LOCATION |
| September 22nd | Mon | 6pm | In-Person | West Middle School |
| September 24th | Wed | 6pm | Zoom | Zoom |
| September 28th | Sun | 6pm | Zoom | Zoom |
| September 29th | Mon | 6pm | In-Person | West Middle School |
| October 5th | Sun | 6pm | Zoom | Zoom |
| October 6th | Mon | 6pm | In-Person | West Middle School |
| October 14th | Tues | 6pm | In-Person | West Middle School |
| October 19th | Sun | 6pm | Zoom | Zoom |
| October 20th | Mon | 6pm | In-Person | West Middle |
| October 26th | Sun | 6pm | Zoom | Zoom |
| October 27th | Mon | 6pm | In-Person | West Middle School |
| October 29th | Wed | 6pm | Zoom | Zoom |
| November 3rd | Mon | 6pm | In-Person | Section IV Coaches Meeting |
| November 5th | Wed | 6pm | Zoom | Section IV Coaches Meeting (Zoom) |
It only takes a little of your time to come and see what we are all about. The biggest question you may end up asking yourself is...Why didn't I do this sooner. I can't wait to see and meet you at the Binghamton West Middle School Auditorium.
I hope you'll say "hi" to me and as the saying goes: Without the stripes, there aren't any stars.
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