[Mark Padgett]

I think this is one of those times a broad generalization has some merit. To my way of thinking, the lower the level, the more difficult. Here's why.

As we gain experience, we have a tendency to understand the flow of the game and anticipate events. I don't mean necessarily we anticipate calls, but probabilities. For instance, at a varsity level, during the early or middle part of a game, if a kid is on a breakaway, you anticipate either that the defender is going to catch up from behind and try to reach around and probably hit the arm, or that he won't get there and the ball handler will make an easy layup. So, you concentrate on the distance spread of the two players as they come down court and you watch the arms of the defender. However, at a lower level, it's just as likely that the ball handler will dribble the ball off his knee OOB, or miss an open layup, or that the defender will trip over the heel of the ball handler, etc.

My point is that you have to watch for a lot more at lower levels because the things you could otherwise narrow your concentration on are not necessarily the things that will happen in a given situation.

The more you have to watch and be prepared to call, the more difficult it is to be consistent and to concentrate on contact.

Give me varsity level anytime, although the kids definitely are funnier when they are younger.