• Tired of the Spouse and Kids? Become a Referee!

• Umpires Needed! How Much Abuse Can You Take?

• Officiating: It's More Fun Than Stamp Collecting!

How would you feel if you were thinking of getting into officiating and those were the recruitment slogans thrown at you? Probably wouldn’t make you want to sign up, would it?

Those slogans, if they were real, certainly wouldn’t be considered very well thought out. They’re counterproductive, slapdash and vaguely menacing. The recruitment efforts of your own local association, if they exist, aren’t likely that ridiculous, but are they any better considered? How much time, research and effort have you put into your recruiting campaign?

Commander Steven C. Lowry of the Navy Recruiting Command spoke at the NASO annual conference in Norfolk, Va., June 16-20. He outlined the process by which the U.S. Navy recruits new sailors, and how sports officiating organizations can apply those same principles.