Testimonials - RefRanking

Testimonials-Officials

These testimonials were all provided by licensed wrestling officials in the state of Wisconsin.

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Our officials’ association, with over 60 members, endorses the use of RefRanking. It has allowed officials to be readily identified by coaches, allows for feedback to officials directly from coaches, and has increased the number of rankings officials are receiving. We feel that it has the potential of increasing the number of rankings even more if the program is implemented for the upcoming season. Comments we have heard from coaches have all been positive and like any new way of doing things it's use will improve with repetition. In addition, it has much more to offer in terms of educational support materials available for officials. We have a number of support materials that the association has made available through RefRanking. We anticipate that it's capabilities will grow even more over time. One final thought, we feel that it could easily be adapted and used in all sports offered by the WIAA.
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RefRanking is a truly innovative way of dealing with the problem of coaches ranking officials. The fact that coaches can do this during the season with officials’ names and pictures is a real plus. To be sure, some coaches will not do the rankings, no matter how easy it is. I am a techno-dinosaur and I could do it. I can see this being done for all sports. Thank you!
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I am just writing to tell you how happy I have been this past year with RefRanking. I have been an official for only four seasons. In the years past, I was handing out ranking cards to all coaches that I officiated for and I got the feeling that most put them in the garbage before they even watched me work. Being a young official it is kind of discouraging to put together a ranking card for coaches and have them just throw them away. Also, in the past years I may have received six rankings a season if I was lucky. This year, because of RefRanking, the officials all pushing the issue with the coaches, and the coaches talking about how simple and easy it was to use this web sight, I received almost forty rankings on the web sight. My hopes are high that this will become the standard ranking system for all wrestling officials and all other sports as well. This is a system that will help many young officials, like myself, develop into more experienced officials, and be able to work in the State Tournament Series. Without RefRanking, I would not have received as many rankings as I did, and it might have taken me several more years before I was even eligible for the tournaments. Thank you!
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This was my third year as an official. I think the web site worked well and I am very eager to keep working with it in the future. It is great for the officials, coaches, and athletic directors. Thanks for your hard work on the site.
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I am writing this to you in support of RefRanking. The work that RefRanking has put forth into the new ranking system has been very beneficial for me. I have only been in the officiating line of work for three years, but I feel this new system is an efficient and convenient way for all those involved with prep wrestling to communicate. I personally like the fact that there is a database with a profile for all licensed officials. I hope others find this a great tool for networking, especially the younger officials in the state of Wisconsin. As I said I have only been a licensed official for three years, so I am not too familiar with the old ranking system, but I can say that I do like the new ideas that RefRanking has brought to the table.
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I have already e-mailed Dave Anderson and the WIAA earlier in the year with positive feedback. Thank you for your efforts to make this happen--It's an awesome program. If I could make one suggestion it would be to sell the hell out of the ADs on this program. They are the ones who can truly benefit the most from this tool. Not just with wrestling officials, but think about the potential for spring sport officials when they have to reschedule officials so often because of weather problems. Several of the ADs I spoke to didn't know much about the program. I believe a huge majority of the wrestling officials and coaches understand how great and easy it is to use the RefRanking site. The ADs are the best target market as we move into the future. Good luck in your meeting with the WIAA. I received over 30 rankings this year alone vs. about 8 last year! So, I am a firm believer in the site.
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I am a licensed wrestling official only for convenience at my school, but I use the RefRanking system to know who the referees are/will be at the various tournaments and matches that I cover for the local radio station, WGLR, which covers SW Wisconsin. I am also a cross country and track official. It does not take a rocket scientist to see how this could streamline the selection of officials in these sports too. Needless to say, the efficiency of ranking officials would improve greatly. Many times, at larger meets, the coaches may not know who the officials are or remember who did what after a few weeks of competition. This system is so obviously efficient that we really need a discussion in the WIAA Newsletter to explain why it wouldn't be adopted for wrestling and expanded for track, football, and other sports.
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I found it very easy to let school AD's know the preferred schools I want to work for as an official. I know it helped them find me, and I also had closer commutes, which saves me time and school districts money. Overall, you have created a great site. Thanks!
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I want to write this letter in support of the RefRanking online system. I have never received a call from a school outside the normal schools I work for until this year. Each of them indicated they obtained my name through RefRanking. In addition, I received calls for middle school matches, which I don’t mind refereeing, that I have never received before. I was also contacted for some emergencies because a ref got sick or couldn’t make a match. This was all possible due to RefRanking and the system they have for listing areas of availability. I have had a few questions through the year and he has been immediately responsive and answered my questions or resolved the issue quickly. The coaches I work with indicate they believe the system is user friendly and effective. I encourage the WIAA to continue to work with the RefRanking system to make it a permanent part of Wisconsin wrestling.
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Thank you for considering RefRanking as the official WIAA site for ranking wrestling officials. Several advantages that I have heard from coaches focus on the ability to rank officials soon after events rather than keeping track of ranking cards until the end of the season. As an official, I appreciate that they were able to complete the rankings when the event was fresh in their mind. As an official, I found the site a great way to identify my partners at a tournament, communicate availability and look forward to contracting through the system. All of these have increased communication and reduced the paperwork trail. As a school superintendent, I see this as one more tool to that reduces the paperwork while providing my staff an opportunity to complete administrative assignments (contracts, rankings, etc) during the season and not add to their already full plates at the end of the season.
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I think the new site is a great tool to all who use it. I have had more rankings this year than any previous year. I have heard lots of positive feedback from coaches and officials alike.
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I would like to take a few minute to comment on the RefRanking system. This system has definitely bridged the gap between where we were and where we need to be. Without a doubt, this system is fast and easy for all users (AD, coaches and refs). We all know how tough it is to schedule and host events, not to mention rescheduling them. We also know how hard it is to find replacements at the last minute. RefRanking allows the user to quickly search and select OPEN officials and send a contract in matter of minutes. How easy is that and all of the contact information is in one place. We are all looking for ways to be more efficient and this system will improve all aspects of scheduling, contracting, rating and providing needed feedback to improve high school athletics. I am a big supporter of RefRanking. Thank you for your time and consideration.
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I have been officiating for 27 years and have total comfort with RefRanking. It provides immediate response for all of the coaches that we are exposed to at each of our contracted events. The ranking works great as long as we officials enter our schedules and also submit our pictures. This really allows the coaches that are new or that do not know the officials to recall easily and visually who they had as a ref. From a personal standpoint, when I went to my personal site during the year, I noticed that new rankings were coming in only a few days after I worked a dual or tournament. That was really cool to know that the coaches took the time right away to get it done. I also appreciated the fact that the coaches are held off for at least 3 days after an event to calmly rank an official. If Todd did not implement this “cooling off period”, we officials would have received some immediate LOW rankings from coaches due to the heat of the moment. I have shown RefRanking to friends of mine who are either coaches or officials in other WIAA Sports, such as Girls Softball, Football, Boys Baseball and Girls Volleyball. They indicated that they wished they had this for their sports as well. That is a strong statement. RefRanking gives us the results we have always wanted, but it is done now, not later. Having the official’s personal information and picture in front of them makes for a very simple process for the coach. As I close on this strong endorsement of RefRanking, I feel it is an important way for young officials to get themselves exposed to the sport of their desire. I think it would also help all AD’s in the state of Wisconsin for contracting officials, organizing their schedules and having all of the officials’ contact information in one place. It’s a Who’s Who in the sport of wrestling. I suggest you open this up to all sports in the WIAA. It works!!
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This is the first year of RefRanking and it feels like a huge step in the right direction. Not only can we see what schools have ranked us but also have other officials contact information at our finger tips. The system just makes so much sense. Several times after a weekend tournament, I have had situations that I would like to discuss with other officials. It was so easy to go to RefRanking and get their contact information and send them an email or get their number to call. It is also a great way to keep track of our personal schedules and see who we are officiating with in any particular tourney. As of today, I have received more than double the number of rankings from previous years. I totally contribute this to the new RefRanking system. As you know, rankings are the only way we can tell how we are doing as officials. This will better our sport and make our officials better. It is also an easy way to receive contracts. No more folders with contracts from year to year, we can just keep them in our e-mail or on the site. We should all try to avoid using paper and promote getting as "green" as possible. Please use this information for any discussion on the new system. I support using it as the official WIAA method for the coaches to do their rankings.
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This system is definitely what we need as officials, because it will increase the number of rankings we all get from coaches by making it so easy for them. Last year, I officiated over 100 schools and got 8 rankings. The year before, I got 24 rankings out of 117 schools. However, this year I've already received 40 rankings. This shows me that the new RefRanking process is very much improved over the previous program. Also, coaches have to give a reason for ranking a Master/Level 5 official below a 4 ranking. Many coaches are not willing to do this, because then they would have to explain why they gave such a low ranking. That will prevent some of them from giving low ranks just because they are mad or do not like an official. It is also easier to get contracts sent and received in a matter of minutes for everybody involved. I can’t wait for more improvements to the website. Thank you, RefRanking, because you have done a fantastic job with this program.
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RefRanking has been a wonderful addition to officiating. The most schools that have ever ranked me was 38 in past years, but with RefRanking I have over 100 rankings. It is very easy to use for officials and coaches. I am very computer illiterate and this has been very easy to use for me. When I would talk to coaches about the site, they all seemed to think it was a great idea. The addition of being able to send contracts over the site will make receiving contracts much quicker, and will not waste postage, paper or time. Being able to search for officials will also make it easier to find officials.
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I have no unique praise that others have not already shared. The system is excellent, easy to use for everyone and provides fantastic feedback. It will get even better as time goes on. It's good to see someone taking the lead on this.
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After using RefRanking throughout the year I found it to be a valuable resource. RefRanking enabled me to provide my schedule to administrators, coaches and other officials. I know that it was a tremendous help to Pewaukee High School when they needed a last minute replacement for the Pirate Invitational. They were able to go to RefRanking and find out who in the area was available. They were able to find a replacement within minutes of going on RefRanking. Another helpful tool I used throughout the season was the ability to print a list and photos of officials who were working a tournament with me. It took just minutes to pass out a copy to each coach during the coaches’ meeting and explain what RefRanking was all about. I am sure the coaches found the sheet a great source of reference days after the tournament had concluded. Also, in the future, tournaments can turn to this tool and print the photographs of the officials as part of their tournament program. My last comment about RefRanking is the simple fact that as of today I have more rankings from coaches than ever before. I am a believer that more is better so I am anxious to see how this high number of rankings plays out in my final ranking for the year.
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My initial reaction is WOW! The number of coaches ranking me has nearly doubled.
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I just wanted to thank you for all of your hard work in the RefRanking project. It was nice to see how many schools ranked me, as well as other refs that I would be working with. I am a member of the Milwaukee Officials Association (MOA). We used to track who was working on what day. Coaches had to contact our secretary to get that information, but now we can see all of our officials in one place. I have been suggesting that coaches and AD’s to use the sight to search for refs when they are needed. Thanks again for your work.
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Please accept this correspondence as a letter of support for your consideration and eventual implementation of the multi-facets of the RefRanking system initiated by Todd Goldbeck on behalf of interscholastic wrestling in the state of Wisconsin. As a very veteran official, I have seen numerous formats incorporated by the WIAA as a means of evaluating officials over the past 34 years. In my opinion, none of these formats have successfully provided a reliable, efficient, and improvement-oriented focus on the evaluation process. The RefRanking system, albeit still in its novice stage, appears to provide a much greater defined evaluation format...in ease of use, reliability, and timeliness, as well as a means for constructive feedback and ongoing improvement for the officials. Further, the enhanced features of RefRanking, including the facilitation of contracts, availability of officials, and providing educational resources, speaks volumes to the benefits that this system can provide to the sport of wrestling in Wisconsin. Accordingly, the incorporation of RefRanking into the WIAA format for evaluating and assisting officials should be seen as a matter for insightful and thought-provoking consideration, and one which I urge you to support.
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I think that Ref Ranking was a huge success. As a new official to the state it helped me get to know other officials that I would work with at the different tournaments. I had a number of coaches say that it helped them identify me once I gave them my profile, which included my picture. I also liked the fact that during the year and at the end of the season I can see how the coaches view my performance. I would like for the state to adopt the use of RefRanking for next year’s season. Just to reinforce, I would highly recommend that the RefRanking system be used for next year’s wrestling season even if there are no further improvements to the process. Thank you for all your hard work to improve the sport of wrestling.
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This has been a great web site for rankings; I have received about three times more rankings compared to the last two previous years. Please convince the WIAA that this is very important to the sport of wrestling. I truly look forward to helping make this a better process for all. Thank you for you great efforts.
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All of the coaches I talked to said RefRanking is a great idea. Some were reluctant to participate because they thought it was not an "official site of the WIAA" and they didn't want to work outside of the parameters of WIAA, but I told them it was an official trial year to gather information on the site. If the site is given sanction, then I believe the coaches will use the site without hesitation. As fewer and fewer referees are available for meets, this site provides easy access to school personnel to locate officials. I personally talked to two coaches who took advantage of your site to locate me and call me to work a tournament. Best of luck on this site.
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I find the RefRanking system to be very user friendly with the potential for better communication between the WIAA, member schools and officials. It is easy to see other officials’ schedules and contact them if you have scheduling conflicts and need assistance filling a date. I also like the fact you can see very quickly which schools are ranking you. If a school is not ranking you, you have the chance to ask them why or encourage them to do so. Improvements on a yearly basis with this system appear to be very manageable and probable considering the commitment of service demonstrated by Todd. All schools and officials may not use every feature offered, but certainly the ranking system makes things much easier than in the past. I have heard many good comments from coaches and other officials to warrant continued development of this system and expansion to other sports. Please give this consideration. Thanks!
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Overall, I believe the coaches are thinking "it's about time" we have a real-time management system like RefRanking. I have heard a lot of positive comments that echo those general thoughts. If the contract negotiations part is as user friendly as the event up-date process then I don't anticipate any problems. I look forward to working more with it in the future.
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Great idea to get this website going. I appreciate all the efforts to help relieve some of the issues that the coaches and officials experience while attempting to complete the many tasks necessary to support the kids and the events. I am optimistic that you will make a positive influence if RefRanking can continue. Here are a few thoughts…
Contracts: I love the fact that we are moving to digital contracting. I have one conference commissioner that is painfully avoiding new technology while sending contracts. In this example, I am still receiving (2) forms…(1) copy for me…(1) copy to send back to him. What a pity. If we all could be getting our contracts digitally, we could accept them via email in a matter of minutes (minus the paper, minus a stamp, minus the time necessary for the CC to receive, etc.). It is all quite simple…I cannot wait until all the paperwork for contracting events is finally done!!! Great work on adding this feature to RefRanking!!!
Scheduled Events: I love the fact that my scheduled events listed in one place for me to view. This will benefit me while organizing my schedule. This will benefit coaches while rating. This will benefit AD’s/Conference Commissioners when in an emergency to find a replacement official(s). I think this will be a WIN/WIN/WIN for everyone.
Rankings: I had not checked the amount of coaches that rated me on RefRanking until you forwarded me this last email dialogue. I have as many ratings already as I did last year using the old method. This is a good thing. I don’t need more papers sent to me from the WIAA that note school/Conference Commissioners ID’s on one page and the rankings on another. It’s all on one page in RefRanking. IF I want…I can print the ratings off but WHY would I? It’s already saved in the database…I consider this a positive feature from RefRanking. Ultimately the functionality that RefRanking illustrates is very positive from my perspective. I really hope the best for RefRanking!!!
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RefRanking is the easiest and fastest way to get coaches to rank officials. In talking with coaches they all like how easy it is to go on and rank officials. It also makes coaches give valid reasons for giving an official a poor ranking. I like RefRanking very much and would like to see it continue.
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I will say that, as a multi-sport official (wrestling, volleyball, and track & field/cross country), I am very pleased with the RefRanking system. In the past, I have been lucky to get as many as 12 schools to rank me. With RefRanking, I have had, to date, 32 schools rank me - almost three times as many rankings as I normally get as a wrestling official on the old paper system. I think a lot of that is due to the usability of the website. Coaches are easily able to identify officials they have worked with by looking at their photo (a lot of the time they will not know their name; even I still do not know a lot of officials by name but recognize their faces) and rank them appropriately. With more officials like myself getting more rankings from schools, this will surely result in more accurate average rankings for officials and will better determine who are the capable officials able to work Regionals, Sectionals, and State. I hope that the RefRanking system will eventually be adopted by all other sports, as well, as this can only benefit the quality of officiating across the board and help bridge that gap between coaches and officials.
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