Promoting sportsmanship in Eastern Oklahoma and Western Arkansas

Matt Webb, President

Rick Watkins, Vice-President

Billy Bond, Secretary

 Dale Lowrimore, Assignment Director  

November 1, 2006

 

 

 

Dear School Administrator:

 

We would like to take this opportunity to formally introduce the Green Country Basketball Officials Association (GCBOA).  As you will notice on the attached sheet, many of our officials have worked your games for a number of years.  By forming the GCBOA, our association hopes to bring more competent, consistent officiating to our area while promoting sportsmanship.

 

Our officials appreciate your business this past year.  The vast majority of basketball games this season have been hard-fought contests with good sportsmanship, which has been emphasized by the state association and by our local officials.  We appreciate the effort of all local coaches, administrators, and players in working to foster an environment of positive sporting behavior.

 

As many of you already know, scheduling is underway for the 2006-2007 season.  To schedule games, you may contact any member of our association on the attached sheet.  If you would like to give your entire schedule to the association (junior high, high school, or both), please call Dale Lowrimore at (918) 839-7771.

 

Due to numerous factors, including rising fuel prices, state-mandated changes in uniform, and increased state dues, the game fee structure for next year has changed.  The price schedule for 2006-2007 is as follows:

 

 

 

 

Travel reimbursement in not included in these prices.  It is optional, at each school’s discretion.

 

For a game with a combination of these grade levels, the game fee will default to the higher level pay (e.g., a game of 7th, 8th, and 9th graders would be paid as a 9th grade game).

 

The pay schedule above is for two officials.  The game fee for three-official mechanics shall be $40 per official, per game.

 

Officials should be paid before the contest.  If this is not possible, arrangements should be made before the game to mail the officials’ checks immediately.

To head-off potential problems from unruly spectators, all schools shall supply a designated “game administrator” at all junior high, junior varsity, and high school basketball contests where a GCBOA official is working.  The administrator shall meet the officials upon arrival at the game site and introduce him/herself.  It is the responsibility of the game administrator to escort the officials to their dressing facilities, maintain crowd control during the game, and escort the officials to their vehicles after the contest.  Failure to consistently provide a game administrator may result in the GCBOA filing a written report with the state association for the offending school’s dereliction of game administration duties.

Officials are expected to conduct themselves with the utmost in professionalism and respect while performing their duties on behalf of the GCBOA.  Coaches and school administrators who notice a member official who is disrespectful, rude, lazy, or thoroughly incompetent should report it immediately to one of our board members.  The GCBOA takes the performance of its officials very seriously, and will work promptly to remedy the situation.

 

Likewise, coaches, players, and administrators are expected to handle themselves with dignity, respect, and professionalism.  GCBOA members will not hesitate in enforcing rules regarding sportsmanship, fair play, and disorderly conduct.  Our officials will file all required reports with the state association regarding ejections and/or major breakdowns in a school’s sporting behavior.

 

Interscholastic athletics are designed to promote the ideas of sportsmanship, fair play, respect, and physical fitness.   When unruly coaches agitate fans and administrators neglect their duties and allow fans to get out of control, all involved lose focus of the noble objectives of the game.  With this said, in order to address growing sportsmanship problems, the GCBOA has developed the Sportsmanship Probation Program (SPP).  The SPP is designed to improve sporting behavior at all levels of basketball in the area.  It penalizes schools whose coaches and/or administrators are problematic with regards to sportsmanship, conduct, and bench decorum.  In the first year, the SPP will only be enforced in sub-varsity (junior high and junior varsity) games.  There is simply no excuse for unsporting behavior by coaches at these levels.

 

Here’s how SPP works:

When a coach or any other adult school representative receives a technical foul for unsporting behavior from a GCBOA official in a sub-varsity game, that incident will be reported to the GCBOA Board of Directors.  These reports will be kept on file by the Secretary.  In sub-varsity contests, if a school receives a total of two unsportsmanlike technical fouls during a season from GCBOA officials (either at home, on the road, or in tournament play), that school will be placed on sportsmanship probation.  The number of technical fouls for girls and boys teams at all sub-varsity levels will be combined for purposes of the SPP.  When this occurs, a board member will contact the school superintendent or athletic director to discuss the situation.  If a school representative receives another technical foul from a GCBOA official during the same year after being placed on probation, GCBOA members will cancel all remaining games at that school for the remainder of the year. 

 

A school may appeal an SPP suspension at any time.  These requests must be submitted in writing to a GCBOA board member.  The request must include reason(s) for objection to the suspension or admission of delinquent sportsmanship.  For the latter, it must also include a specific plan for improving sportsmanship at school sporting events.  The request must be signed by the school superintendent or athletic director.  A majority of board members must approve a school’s reinstatement after an SPP suspension.  Committee decisions will be final.  If a school is reinstated, it will be placed again on probation, where one additional technical foul in a sub-varsity game by a school representative will lead to SPP suspension.  There will be no appeals for a second SPP suspension.

 

It is the hope of all our members that by forming this association we will be able to bring better officiating to this area.  Once again, we appreciate your business and your efforts in creating a positive sporting environment for the youth of Eastern Oklahoma and Western Arkansas .  Please contact one of our board members if you have any questions.

 

Best regards,

 

 

 

_________________________                                              _________________________

Matt Webb                                                                              Rick Watkins

President                                                                                  Vice-President

                                                                                   

 

 

 

_________________________                                              _________________________

Billy Bond                                                                                Dale Lowrimore

Secretary                                                                                 Assignment Director