[MREUROREF]

...at my local games???

I am military and I officiate between two bases (gyms) about 9 miles apart. There are about 30-45 companies per base and 15 games per week at each gym.

Being that officials here are in high demand, we get a lot of work. Especially this time of year, with the intramurals, rec ball, high school, middle schools, and American Schools in London, and a low number of these official who know the 3-Man Mechanics; we REALLY get a lot of work!!!

But NO MATTER where you go...It's the faces you see. They just go from being PLAYERS to being PARENTS or "COACHES". On court player Coaches, where the Coach is really the captain and the other 4 players out there are Coaches with a million questions that begin with, “WHY…?”

I FEEL THAT A LOT OF MY AGGRAVATION IS BECAUSE OF THE REDUNDANCY. I'm feeling over stimulated.

And this weekend, the fact that my two Veteran Partners during the game and our half time session referred to players and coaches by their first or nicknames.

(e.g. Hey, remember that play with Nate and Toddy, did he have advantage, coz' if he didn't I would have let that one go.)

OR

COACH: hey Richie talk to your boy, teach him something.
U2: you know, you know, we try......

OR

The Referee saying during the Coach and Captain's meeting asking (since we've been having problem with teams complaining about our "Call Selection")
REF to the Coaches: how do want us to call it? tight, loose, allow rough play, or do you want us to call the tic-tac?
their response was about as vague as humanly possible.

OVERALL, I FELT SINGLED OUT DURING THE ENTIRE GAME, AFTER TABLE SIDE RESPONSES FROM MY PARTNERS THE COACHES SEEM TO RIDE ME ASKING FOR RETORICAL EXPLANATION FOR CALLS AND ONCE I GOT TABLE SIDE AFTER SOME SNIDE COMMENT AND A SMACK ON THE BOTTOM, I "T" HIM. The ref told me that him or the U2 would administer the 2nd T, if need be. Which frustrated me more, because I think the coaches knew it, because of my new mechanic..."ALWAYS GO OPPOSITE TABLE OR BASE"

These are playoff games and they have a limited amount of officials that can even do this level of game.

The fact that I felt handled by both parties.

Makes me want to come back to the states. I loved the Anonymity.