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Originally posted by Rich Fronheiser
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I just looked at my calendar. 32 HS games for the entire season, plus about 5 dates of youth rec ball and one game of adult rec ball that reminded me why I don't work adult rec ball. That's it. I have 3 HS dates left and this Saturday I'm working a youth rec tourney. Then I take a glorious month off until my first baseball DH in late March. Only second year in the state so I'm not playoff eligible so I'll spend March watching hoops on TV.
Part of my learning curve was recognizing that quality is more important than quantity. I decided this season to work nothing below the HS varsity level, and I've been true to that although I could've certainly had more games had I worked lower level ball. I'm sure that not working lower levels has cost me some schools in the area, but that's OK. 2 or 3 games a week is more than enough for me and I want those games to be at a level of my choosing. Gives me time to spend at home and time to spend in my career without feeling completely burned out.
--Rich
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Rich I do a similar thing. I probably only work about 40 varsity games a year. I might do one or two lower level games (JV only or Freshman ball) outside of that. I might do an occational Saturday morning JV game, but not much more than that. Because of my extensive football and baseball schedules, I refuse to do all those Men's leagues and games that have nothing to maintaining my college and HS schedules. Fortunately at this time after the basketball season is over, I have a few weeks of rest before the baseball season. But I do anywhere from 40-60 baseball games if the weather stays good during the baseball season. So I am just worn out by the end of the school year. And I also choose not to do any summer baseball like others do. I need a break and some rest as well. I use that time to work some summer ball and attend camps. But the times I work is so far and few between, I can handle that during the summer.
What I have also learned is that the higher you move up, the less non-HS or scholastic ball you have to do. Most of the "big-time" officials are not working many Men's leagues or working many lower level ball. Does not mean they never will, but they are not working 7 days a week that is for sure. I still enjoy some JV games, because I learn something about my ability and my game management skills. But I cannot mentally take that pounding every day. One of the reasons I try to work only weekends during the football season. If I did not, I would burn out by early January.
Peace