[Rich]

....I had a nice conversation with some kids during the 20-minute observation period before a boys varsity game.

I was working as the referee and was observing the visiting team (that could dunk provided they brought out a trampoline) and some kids that had traveled for the game were sitting in the front row. One girl had taken her program and rolled it up and was using it as a noisemaker -- a pretty good one, in fact.

I glanced back and she quickly said that she wasn't going to use it during the game. I laughed and told her that she could be the band if she wanted to be. The school I was at usually has a pep band, but didn't on Saturday afternoon -- I think they went to a girls' tournament instead.

(Side story: I worked a varsity girls game at this school a few weeks ago and the band sounded great in warmups. My partner sidled over to me and said that the home team should get 10 points because of the band. The anthem was so bad, however, that I suggested they had to give five of those points back, which broke my partner up. I'm really not that cynical -- the kids tried their best, I'm sure.)

The girl with the noisemaker claimed to be motivation for the team -- as the team was sleepwalking through layup drills. I haven't laughed that hard on a court in a long time.

Later on my partner had to stop the game due to an unruly guy in the same area - the only unsportsmanlike thing I saw or heard all day. My partner was a 32-year vet who seems to know everyone here (yet is extremely professional). After my partner hit his whistle, he turned to the guy and the guy was apologizing seconds later. There's that presence thing again.

Rich