[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Daryl Long ('The Preacher') and I officiate quite a bit of boys' and girls' jr. H.S. basketball. The bkb. off. assn. (which we have served as officers and officiating class instructors) assigns the officials for six schools. The reasons we do the games are many.

1) We both have the ability to officiate games that start between 04:00pm and 04:30pm. Games starting at these times are difficult to officate.

2) Our association assigns many of these games to our first year officials, thus giving us a chance to officiate with our students and help them.

3) As a previous poster has already said that many times one will see a weird play (sometimes many times over) that will only been seen once in a blue moon at the H.S. freshmen level and above. Rather see it here for the first time, instead of being suprised at an upper level game. I guess you could say that we use the games as paid practice.

3) Along the lines of using the games as a paid practice, one learns to see the whole play and to practice developing good judgement. While no one wants to make a mistake at any level, seeing a weird play and making a mistake at the jr. H.S. level, is less damaging in the scheme of life than one at the varsity or college level. One also sees much creative footwork and dribbling skills and jr. H.S. is great practice for judging these items.

4) The game fees are between $50 and $55 for a DH, which is the same as H.S. varsity game fee. While we give the schools a 100% professional effort, one does not have to run quite as hard up and down the court on a fastbreak during a jr. H.S. as one has to during a H.S. or college game. Besides, I like making the same game fee as a varsity game while getting home far earlier in the evening than if I were officiating a varsity game. I guess I am just getting old and would rather be home when the kids go to bed at night.

MTD, Sr.