[Back In The Saddle]

I feel your pain. Well, I felt your pain. I'm a second year guy (Hey, now that my season is over, can I claim to be a 3rd year guy? Anyway....). My first year was also very frustrating. Too few assigned games, working with inexperienced partners or vets who were saving their A games for another day, etc. But I tried to work each game my best. I tried to learn from every game and every body. And I tried to do all the things that the veterans in my area told me mattered. This year was like night and day from last year.

Hang in there, do your best, and work so hard that you drag the disinterested newbies along in your wake. A strong official can make a weak partner look good (and thus make the crew look good). So pull up your socks, determine that you are going to make each game go well, force the switches, use good mechanics, be stubborn about it, and be the guy who does what it takes to make the crew look good. You be that guy, and you will move up.