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…but it is close.

Over the last three weeks, since my last game, I have been reflecting and evaluating my personal situation. For the most part, I enjoy the time I am actually on the court…but until this season the first 4 words of that statement weren’t there.

I can look myself in the mirror and honestly say that when this last season started I was ready. I had gotten myself into decent shape (read that to say, above average for the guys my age in the association) and felt the camps I attended had prepared me for the season. The things I “got dinged” for in the first camp were things that I was told I “did well” in the fourth camp. In fact, in every review from the evaluators during that last camp most of the negatives they mentioned were accompanied with the comment “This isn’t a big thing, but…”. When I spoke with the assignor, the only negative he mentioned was my age…can’t do anything about that. So I went into the season hopeful.

The early schedule was pretty good…majority varsity at smaller school programs that historically had done well. Some lopsided games but you can expect some of that in non-district. I was driving a lot of miles but encouraged. Then district play hit…and the schedule took a marked downturn. Overwhelming majority was fairly bad basketball, not very competitive games and mostly sub-varsity. Looking back of the entire season and I noticed that overall I spent a lot of time driving to games that weren’t very good and, as a whole, working with partners who were either fairly new and were just doing it for the money.

The introspective has made me come to the conclusion that one of these statement are true:

1) I actually suck (or close to it) as an official.

2) The person who assigns games has slotted me as, what almost can be called, a filler official and there is nothing I can do to convince him to give me a “better schedule”.

Given that…it would be stupid to bust my hump during the off-season just so I can see my schedule take another hit next season and come to the end of it more frustrated than I am now. I may be a lot of things…but stupid isn’t one of them. I also tell people that when you stop enjoying what you are doing it is time to stop doing what you are doing.

Good luck to everyone. I hope you exceed the goals you have set for yourself. It is time for me to find something else to fill my “leisure” time.