College jobs for athletes

As any athlete knows, it is a great advantage to have an extra view on their sports. This is demonstrated by many athletes becoming coaches for the sport they also play. However, there is another job that gives an entirely different view on sports that is just as beneficial if not even more than being a coach. Becoming an official for any sport is a great way to learn another aspect of the game which can translate to a more practical use on the field. As a baseball official going into my seventh year, I know the benefits this job has to me both as an athlete and as a college student.
There are many benefits of being an official for an athlete’s point of view. One of the biggest things you learn is a deeper understanding of the ins and outs of the game including rules and situations. While many athletes think they know their favorite sport inside and out, actually learning the rules again from square one can show even the best supposed “experts” many things they have never even known. As a baseball umpire, I have read “Official Baseball Rules” multiple times. The very first time I read it, I learned more about baseball than in 17 years of playing/watching it. This also had a positive effect as an athlete on me. Reading the actual rules taught me many loopholes in the game which can be used to the player’s advantage.
Another big advantage of being an umpire is all the life skills it can teach you. One of the biggest things any umpire needs is great communication skills. Being an official forces people to work with their partners in-game and out of game while also occasionally having to deal with the angry coach who thinks the call just made was horrible and wants an explanation. Communication is an important skill that any official needs and will learn from experience.
While there are a ton of benefits being an official has for athletes, there are just as many benefits for the collegiate student as well. Being an official is a part-time job where the person can completely choose their own hours. Many associations have a process where officials can block out whenever they are not available. Students can block out when they have classes, have homework or other things. This will let students get games only when they are available so it works completely with any student’s schedule. The pay varies from association to association but workers are paid on commission rather than salary or hourly. They earn money based on the number and level of games they work.
As a baseball official going into my eighth year, I can fully recommend this line of work for both athletes and college students alike. Even if students do not know anything about the sport, they can still work as they will be trained in how to work as an official and the full rules of the game. This part-time job works for anybody and works around the busy schedule of a college student.