Sounds like a fun night.
I rarely do rec ball, but every once in a while I'll do some in the off-season just to get a run in.
It does tend to thicken your skin if nothing else. I'm a firm believer that any game can be used to improve or try a couple new techniques, even men's rec league.
This month's Referee magazine has an article on an NBA ref (was it Bernie Fryer?) and he talks about how he learned a lot from working men's leagues. I seem to recall that Violet Palmer did a lot of men's rec league at one time too.