Basketball
Basketball
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REQUIRED post Varsity game report (closed at the moment)
A copy of the report is emailed to the game official and Megan Cusick. 1 report per game, completed by Crew Chief or 1 crew member.
*Please use for PRAISE sportsmanship reports too at any level, a copy is shared with school leadership.
To register with the OK Conference as a basketball official for the 2025/26 season click above.
Megan Cusick and Brad Brunet have access to this form for registration.
Trainers & Mentors - fill out evaluation reports as needed, LINK.
Game Assignment Timelines
Game Assignment Timelines
OK Conference Varsity Assigner and Supervisor of Varsity Officials: Megan Cusick
Timeline: 2025-26 Crew Assignments - ETA Fall 2025*
*NOTE: Additional assignments for independents, crews, and all qualified varsity officials will start in mid to late fall 2025.
OK Conference Sub-Varsity Assigner and Supervisor of Sub-Varsity Officials: Brad Brunet
Timeline: Sub-Varsity Assignments will start in mid to late fall 2025.*
Communications NOTICE:
During the off season (March 2025 - Nov 2025), refrain from texting or calling.
It is impossible to manage calls and requests from everyone. During this time, use email communication and expect possible delayed responses as not managing assigning daily. Thank you for your understanding. Texts and calls may be missed.
***Email is the primary form of communication always
Varsity & Sub-Varsity Assigners
Varsity & Sub-Varsity Assigners
OK Conference Varsity Assigner and Supervisor of Varsity Basketball Officials:
Lead Assigner: Megan Cusick, cusickfarms@gmail.com
Assistant Varsity Assigner & Back Up: Patrick Kane, pjwkane@gmail.com
OK Conference Sub-Varsity Assigner and Supervisor of Sub-Varsity Basketball Officials:
Lead Assigner: Brad Brunet, Bradley.brunet@gmail.com
Assistant & in season back up: To Be Determined (TBD)
***Email is the preferred method of contact for both assigners, especially during the off season (offseason: Early March - Early November)***
*If you need a substitute please contact the correct assigner - do not contact the school*
Turnback Policy:
3 Days or less: Pease email the correct assigner.
Day of: Before 10 am, please call or text, AND email the correct assigner.
WEATHER Policy.
The OK Conference Assigners strive to promptly update Arbiter when we receive information about canceled games due to "act of God" weather.
In the event of inclement weather, I encourage you, as independent contractors, to trust your instincts.
If you sense that the weather is unfavorable, wait until after 1:30 PM and contact the school directly before departing for your contest to confirm the status of your games if you have not received a notice via Arbiter or a phone call from the school.
Contact information for the schools is in Arbiter and tied to the respective game.
Sport Specific Details
High School Uniform Requirements:
Black and White Striped Shirt, Black Pants, All Black Shoes, All Black Socks, Black Whistle (Fox40 brand only). Shirts and Pants Can be found at: Correct Call All others can be found on: CAAVO Store - who works with a local supplier, if you want to support local. Please note - I do not get kickbacks or incentives just looking to support local Michigan sports
Basketball Play Dates:
High School sub varsity games are T/Th typically 4p or 5:30p starts
High School Varsity are T/F typically 6 or 7p starts
Middle School M/W typically 4p starts.
Basketball Arrival Times:
Sub Varsity - 30 minutes prior to start time.
Varsity - 60 minutes prior to start time.
*Crew/Partner Communication, use arbiter sports cell phone app - Download it - Coordinate and communicate with your partner on or before game day by texting. I made a quick 24-sec “how to” video. LINK IS HERE. Scroll down, it's the 7th video posted.
Pay Scale: (Remember you will start at low levels to allow for great learning experiences)
Middle School – $58.00 per game
Sub Varsity – $85.50 per game ($171 for a F/JV combo)
Varsity - $115.50 per game.
Policy's:
No Show: If 1 official is a “no-show” on the day of the event, the official working alone will receive 2 times the pay. Or the 2 officials will split the 3rd missing official.
Sub-Varsity 3 Officials Working: The OK Conference pays $85.50 each for two (2) officials to work a sub-varsity contest. If a crew decides to add a third, then the game fee total is split three ways. 85.50+85.50=$171(game fee total), $171/3=$57 per game.
Payment: Schools usually pay within a week. Some still process checks. This can delay your payment, if you have pay issues (after a week or more), please reach out to the correct game assigner and they can help.
Arbiter Sports Reminder:
Ensure your schedule blocks are up-to-date. If you require a reminder, you can access it HERE.
New Officials to OK Conference but NOT new to Basketball Policy:
Before receiving a varsity assignment, new officials to the OK Conference (but not new to basketball officiating) must submit the following information to the assigner, Megan Cusick:
1) Provide a referral from your past assigner
2) Submit game film to Megan Cusick and/or have been observed and approved at the Freshman/JV level by appropriate trainers/observers
3) Have a profile picture in arbiter of yourself
4) Have a current phone number in arbiter
Varsity Crew Formations and Alignments:
To facilitate networking and coordination:
Please utilize the OK Conference Facebook group to connect with other officials. [link here].
Reach out to crews directly to inquire about any officials who may be relocating/shifting/free agents.
Review hudl film of officials you are interested in working with.
You can choose crews of 2, 3, or 4 members. If you select 2 members, I will fill in with independents. If you choose 4 members, please specify who the alternate member is. Specify this on the registration which opens in April.
Contact your local training association Trainer or Recruitment/Mentorship Coordinator for assistance in aligning skill sets (association links in next section):
WMOA: Mark Lundvick (Trainer) or Scott Stabler (R&M Coordinator)
USAOA: Warren Kent (Trainer) or Jack Vanderboegh (R&M Coordinator)
MMOA: Clint Abbott (Trainer) or Ron Mousel (R & M Coordinator)
Names of all officials in the O-K Conference as of Feb 2024 for brainstorming/alignment ideas. OK Conference Official Roster
All contact information can also be found on the MHSAA officials directory.
After your crew is formed, provide the necessary details when basketball registration opens in April/May 2024. There will be a dedicated section for crews, and the registration information you provide will be used to update the arbiter crew list. Please refrain from sending separate emails.
Disclaimers: I (Megan Cusick) do not participate or advise in crew matchmaking or alignments, as I cannot assure compatibility or success. Officials are expected to take initiative, conduct their own research, and make informed decisions.
Also, while the OK Conference will attempt to utilize crews as an initial assigning process, officials please know the following:
1) Crews are assigned as a collective group - (i.e. one official that is blocked by a particular school or has notably different ratings, may impact assignments of the entire crew)
2) Assigners retain the sole discretion to opt out of utilizing a crew and/or individuals based on their past performance or lack thereof.
3) The number and 'quality' of assignments are based on a number of factors, including:
-film analysis
-observations
-coach ratings
-coach feedback
-AD feedback
-association trainer feedback
-participation in camps/training
-willingness to mentor younger officials
-support of recruitment
-support of training others
-willingness to travel to OK Conference schools
-declines from past seasons
-not managing of Arbiter blocks
-failure to have a picture and/or phone number in Arbiter
-etc.
4) Unfortunately, the OK Conference assigning team is not positioned to guide and manage the expectations of 400 plus officials but they work closely with training association leadership. If you are unsatisfied with your number of games or level of assignments, it is the official's responsibility to reach out to your Association trainers, mentors and resources for support.
Thank you for your cooperation, your collaboration is essential to our success.
Local Training Associations
For additional training, both on and off the court, the OK Conference highly recommends officials join local sports associations for training and mentorship. Here are associations serving West Michigan.
The WMOA is an MHSAA Approved Association of football, and girls’ and boys’ basketball officials based throughout the area of Grand Rapids, MI. The largest in West Michigan.
Our Mission: In order to promote and maintain high professional standards of sports officiating, and to engender a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation between coaches, athletic directors, other interested parties and the sports officials of this area, the West Michigan Officials’ Association is organized and established.
The USA Officials Association is an MHSAA Approved Association that continues to build on the venerable tradition started by the original Umpires of the Shoreline Association more than 20 years ago.
Our Mission: Is to train, promote, and maintain professional standards in sports officiating for interscholastic contests between MHSAA member schools, and to create a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation between sports officials, coaches, athletic directors, and other parties of interest throughout the greater West Michigan area.
MMOA is a non-for-profit, approved officials’ association (#1025) of the Michigan High School Athletic Association.
Our Purpose: The purpose of this association shall be to promote better and more uniform officiating of all sports, to aid new officials in getting started, and to serve as a central source of scheduling officials for schools who are in need of officials.
Off Season 2025 Training Opportunities.
For those looking to train in the off season - below is what I know of so far:
REF Reps - Intro to Basketball Officiating Education Course: Self paced online, lifetime access, highly recommend: Only $50 https://learn.refreps.com/
Arnulfo Perez Jr. Officiating Basketball Camp: highly recommend GVSU June 6th-8th - High School camp, will focus on rules of the game, proper mechanics, game management, communication, 2-person and 3-man court areas Link is HERE
Tip of the Mitt: highly recommend GAYLORD HIGH SCHOOL -July 28th, 29th and 30th 2025 - High School camp, will focus on 3 person officiating techniques with class room instruction as well. LINK is HERE
Others:
Mike Conlin: 2025 Correct Call Basketball Officiating Camp - email Mike for details: glra11@gmail.com
Rob Doss: The 2025 Camp Dates; Email Rob at robdoss12@hotmail.com for dates and details.
WHAC/High School Officials Camp: Email Wallace at whitfield4204@comcast.net for dates and details.
Nuf Perez: Assigns GVSU Summer Camps & AAU: Arnulfo.S.Perez3310@gmail.com
Wyoming Summer League: Contact Andrew Otten - ottenandrew@gmail.com
Register with MHSAA
Register with MHSAA
Sport Deadlines
• August 2025 – Football and Volleyball
• November 2025 – Basketball, Competitive Cheer, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey, Swimming and Wrestling
• March 2026– Baseball, Boys Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball and Cross Country and Track
Other Training Links
Other Training Links
NFHS Basketball 2024-25 Rules Changes - A Better Official
NFHS Basketball 2024-25 Rules Changes - PDF
NFHS Basketball Inbounding 2023 Changes
Officials Training Institute - VERY GOOD
A Better Official Basketball - VERY GOOD
IAABO - 2024-25 Rules Changes - Very GOOD
MHSAA Basketball Sport Specific Content
Michigan Basketball Officials Network - Facebook
MHSAA Referee Magazine (Mhsaa#8122)
Thank you.
Thank you.
Dear Basketball Officials,
Thank you for your dedication, professionalism, and commitment to maintaining the integrity and fairness of our basketball games. Your hard work, keen judgment, and ability to manage the fast-paced nature of the sport are greatly appreciated.
Your role is essential in ensuring a positive experience for players, coaches, and fans. We recognize and value the time and effort you invest in every game. Thank you for your continued support and for being an integral part of our basketball community.
With sincere appreciation,
Megan Cusick
Lastly - Keep recruiting. 🏀
OK Conference Basketball Assigners:
OK Conference Basketball Assigners:
OK Conference Varsity Assigner and Supervisor of Varsity Officials:
Megan Cusick, cusickfarms@gmail.com
OK Conference Sub-Varsity Assigner and Supervisor of Sub-Varsity Officials:
Brad Brunet, Bradley.brunet@gmail.com
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