Steve, that's quite a background. You've already got a pretty wide area of experience when it comes to basketball. That can only help you. Welcome to the forum. I hope you find some useful answers here.
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Originally Posted by euby
What was the hardest transition to make during your first year?
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My personal experience was that I just felt lost my first year. (Shut up, Dan!) I didn't really know anything about how to get games, who to talk to, what an availability list was, any of that stuff. Plus, I was nearly as lost on the floor. I had guys telling me not to do this, do that instead; and other guys telling me the opposite. So most of what I remember is pretty confused.
The biggest adjustment for me, I think, was adjusting from the hard and fast rules in the classroom training to the interpretation on the floor. The other really hard thing for me in the first 5 years was dealing with the coaches. I started off by simply ignoring them all the time. I'm not good with a snappy reply on the spot, so I just never said anything. Well, that sure didn't go over well. So I tried to be the understanding listener. Turned out I just took too much crap. It took a long long LOOOOOONGGGG time before I finally started to feel comfortable with that aspect of the game.
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As a newbie what should be my primary focus be on... rules, mechanics, networking, conditioning?
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You can always work on all of those. Gotta know the rules, obviously. But I think the thing that served me best was working a TON of games and seeing as many plays as possible. Seeing plays works wonders. And working a lot of games gives you the opportunity to work on your mechanics a lot. Don't get into bad habits!
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What should I avoid while dealing with AD's, coaches, other officials?
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Avoid the appearance of arrogance. Be confident, but don't correct more experienced officials, even when they're wrong. Avoid "yeah, but" when another ref tries to give you some advice. If you don't like the advice, just nod and then forget about it. It happens a lot. With coaches, avoid being a smart-a$$. At least at first. Once you know them, maybe you can pull it off. But I can't do it.
I tell guys: when you're first starting out, there are only three things that you can totally control. Those are your rules knowledge, your appearance, and your mechanics. Read the rulebook over and over, get good quality uniform and shoes, and practice your mechanics in a mirror. Do those things and you'll be off to a pretty good start.
Good luck. Check in with us and let us know how it's going.