[BillyMac]

It was with much consternation, much soul searching, and deep regret, that I just turned back all my varsity games for the season, as well as several afternoon freshman/junior varsity doubleheaders that I had volunteered to work due to my expanded availability because of my retirement from my day job.

After working three scrimmages, I came to the full realization that the bone spur and osteoarthritis in my right ankle was having a negative effect on the quality of my officiating.

Now that I’m retired, and have been able to workout at the gym every day, I thought that I would be able to improve my running, but that didn’t happen as I had expected.

In varsity games that “count”, it's not fair to the players, nor to my partners, that I have to hobble up and down the court like Matt Dillon's sidekick, Chester, in the old Western television series Gunsmoke.

I will continue working junior varsity, freshman, and middle school games, but no more doubleheaders.

Even though I’m only a “journeyman” official, I have worked hard to get to this point in my career, and it’s tough to give it up.

I sincerely believe that this is best for the players, my partners, and thus, is best for my local IAABO board, and although I hate to admit it, it’s probably best for me.

After my heart attack and stent procedure fifteen months ago, my cardiologist put me on a platelet aggregation inhibitor (blood thinner) that prevents me for having any elective surgery, like having my bone spur removed, for the next fifteen months.

I will hopefully be able to have the bone spur surgery as soon as I’m off the blood thinners and then, maybe, I can get back to working some varsity games.