[DLH17]

I had the privilege of officiating a good ol', down home, small town youth rec league championship game last weekend.

This particular league and venue were completely new to me. We were playing in what must have been a high school gym back in the day which was now attached to a newer grade school classroom facility. Steel girders supported an arched wood looking ceiling. Frayed ropes dangled intermittenly from the rafters just out of reach above our heads. Giant stage on one end, and 25 foot wooden bleachers lined the far side of the court.

The place was charged with parent's and siblings of 10 and 11 year old ready for an old fashioned evening of community braggin' rights competition.

First game up was a girls game....second game was the boys.

Girls coaches were both completely obsessive and just one step lower on the coaching ladder than John Wooden in their own minds.

Lots of twangy screaming and yelling from the coaches and fans alike. Good times for sure. One of those situations you always look forward to because it helps you focus on three things: your mechanics, communication skills and managing the action on the court.

I knew my partner and I were in for a doozy of a game when the league coordinator approaches us just prior to tip off to inform us that the lady running the scorebook was the home team coach's new wife and the lady running the clock was the home team coach's ex-wife - and the dude sitting silently alongside was the protective boyfriend. lol.

Of course, the final score was a 4 point differential and the losing coach thought the officials hosed him. But, we did a great job of communicating with him all game long and went on to call a great boys game too.