I’m currently a THR for a tournament in April. We put out our application in December and left it open for a month and then closed it Jan 1 and went about staffing and the like.
Then I had a couple excellent officials who are also friends who had worked this tournament in the past express sadness that they missed the deadline. One was ill, one forgot. Another third person didn’t apply because they just weren’t ready to think about 2025 in December, which, valid.
For a second tournament, for which I will be a CHR, I knew of another person who didn’t apply because they wanted to know about the first application, because they could only do one tournament. But the second tournament’s staffing process moved faster so that official lost their backup. (They got into one of them though but that’s somewhat lucky.)
…meanwhile…
For the first tournament, out of our applications, we sent invites. Two officials declined because they “couldn’t swing it” with their work schedule, another person declined because they had overapplied and got in everywhere and needed to limit their derby. Which, also valid.
…so, it seems like different people are treating tournament applications a bit differently, in a way that could lead to decreased opportunity for some.
Some people treat an application as a commitment. They do not apply unless they have thought it through and are committing in their hearts to attend. Other people treat an application as an expression of interest. My opinion is sort of with the second group – officials should apply to any tournament they would potentially attend, even if they are uncertain whether they can actually attend.
This would go with another expectation which is that, when you are invited, that’s when you need to make your decision and commit on-paper as well as in your heart of hearts. That extra month or two is, at least sometimes, probably enough for the first group to commit.
So the barrier to apply should be low, and the commitment should be made upon invitation. THOs should understand that until someone has been invited and committed, nothing is certain – in my experience, THOs all already expect that! (Because the “second group” of officials has always existed.)
Why bring this up? Because I feel bad about the first group of officials who missed out because they waited to apply. I feel like this might be a cultural difference similar to the “askers vs guessers” conversational style? But I feel that those who wait to apply until they are certain, which definitely comes from a place of caring and kindness, might end up at a disadvantage for it. So I was thinking that if we set the culture for this more explicitly, that might help folks not to miss out.
What do you think?