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Compared to officiating college intramurals, youth leagues are a breeze and high school is a downright privilege. I've been calling intramurals at the Univ. of Tennessee (where I am a student) and I am convinced that no player in the entire league (something like 220 teams) knows the rules of flag football, or any NFHS enforcements (which is basically what flag football goes by). Not to mention that I am one or maybe four or five semi-competent officials in the whole system. We have folks show up to officiate wearing jeans and boots, or that like to play with their flag while the game is going on, or that like to talk to the people they know on the sideline during a play. It gets a bit ridiculous. Add to it that we barely get paid minimum wage and work four games a night, and it gets to the point where it's not hardly worth it. The players don't care who you are, to them you are just another student. If they get thrown out, so what? They'll just be back the next week and they'll remember who you are.
I got threatened by this one player I ejected a couple of weeks ago. After I flagged him for USC, he ripped his jersey off, got right up in my face, bumped me, pushed me, and called me everything in the book. I proceeded to toss him, which fired him up even more, and then I yelled to the supervisors on duty to call the police. They finally got him out of there, with him threatening me all the way off the field. Turns out the guy wasn't even a student and had used a fake name and ID number when he signed in. The other players on that team didn't even know who he was. I think all the guys on that particular team were punished for letting him play, but they didn't really care. The problem is, there's not much way to be completely preventative of something like that happening, although they do periodic ID checks throughout the season.
I'm not in it for the money, but the intramurals have gotten to the point where they are not enjoyable any more. I am somewhat regarded as the one of the most knowledgeable football officials with RecSports, and I will be the R in the championship game this Wednesday night, but I think this will be the last year I work intramurals. I'd rather work 3 hours and make $60 on youth leagues than work 4 hours and make a little over $20 with the intramurals, not to mention intramural games not ending until after midnight.
[Edited by bigwes68 on Nov 17th, 2003 at 12:48 AM]
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