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2nd game I ever worked. Boys freshman game (2 whistle) about 17 years ago. I was working with our local assigner and he told me before the game that he thought I would be a potential up and comer and he wanted to work with me to feel me out.
I called 5 seconds in the back court. I had a simultaneous whistle with my partner who was calling time-out. He closed in on me and asked "what do you have" and I said "5-seconds", he said "no you don't" and granted the timeout. During the timeout he politely explained you couldn't have 5 seconds in the backcourt..........which I knew, but allowed myself to get flustered. Then, about 5 minutes later the same coach was calling a timeout as a player was in jeopardy of getting a real closely guarded call and he was on the floor yelling to get my attention as I was too locked in on the play to notice him before he got onto the court. As I spun around to grant the timeout, I showed the "T" signal and he immediately sat down embarrassed. Once again, my partner came in and told everyone it was a time out and the coach looked up at me and smiled. He sincerely thought I T'd him for being on the floor and was mortified originally.
When I start getting arrogant about my officiating ability, assignments I receive, college conferences I get to work in (NAIA & D-II, not D-I) I think back to how much help I was given and how good the coaches really were to me when I was starting out. I will admit that I let my ego get the best of me at times, but it seems when I get that way, I run into a coach that gave me a shot or an old partner that tought me the tools to get to where I have gotten. I had a moment like this at our state tournament last week and this thread was my reminder once again that I am not nearly as good or important as I allow myself to think at times............
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