Quote:
Originally Posted by dmbfan285
Thank you for the pointers there. I know the rec leagues do suck but I make good money and I know there is drama sometimes but every game I do I learn something and its a good place for me to improve my mechanics.
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Im going to take your side on this one dmbfan. I guess just because I took a very similar road you are taking now. I worked hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of games of rec and low level AAU tournaments and even now at this point and time of my career I still go back and ref in the offseason and hope that I have some crazy, screwed up games! For the most part about 85-90% of the rec and AAU games I worked were non-competitive or I guess I should say they had no intensity about them, but I kept plugging away just trying to gain valuable experience. It never seemed to fail though that there would almost always be a screwed up game with a player, coach or fan or the fact that the game was too physical and on edge. This is when I truly learned!! And I attribute it to making me the official I am today. You can do all the HS "certified" games you want and all the college games you want, but I was getting one of those "crazy" games at LEAST once a weekend and you won't see that but maybe once in a season of college or HS ball. These games teach you game management and allow you to work on your communications whether it be with your partner(s), table crew and yes, even the coaches. It also teaches you how to control a game if your partner is very inexperienced, In other words it contributes to your "Crew Chief Mentality".
I believe as you get older and you have gained even more experience and had your "fill" of those crazy games that you will be like most on this forum and will tell people to give them up and work nothing but regular season, but those rec games in the summer are what I believe to be the true "training ground" and "baptism by fire" games. That being said though you still need to get your college and HS games in for the valued experience of not kicking a rule and the atmosphere that can come along with them. Those are different beasts in and of themselves, but learning how to manage the game and fine tuning your skills (the one none of the regular mundane fans notice) is the place for the rec league games.