Youth Ball Follies

[Rich]

I worked some youth games today -- my first 2-person games since the last time I worked youth ball in mid-November. (44 3-person games in a row since then. I was a bit out of sorts in an odd way -- mostly when I was the T opposite and my partner called a shooting foul and I assumed I was staying where I was cause I was the C opposite. Oh, wait.)

First game -- one of the coaches had been a problem early and we shut him down, but he had used up every kindness, every last chance.

Near the end of the game, this team was down 3 points. I'm the L. They took a shot at a 3 and the ball hit the front of the rim, was knocked around a few times, and then headed out of bounds off this team. Ball was saved OVER the backboard. T properly calls the violation.

About 3 seconds left now, other team to inbound.

Coach screams, "THAT WAS A BAD CALL." In a mostly empty gym, this resonated quite well. I stared in his direction and he sees me looking at him. He ups the ante, louder: "THAT WAS A BAD CALL."

Whack.

2 points and the ball in this league -- no shots. Now a 5 point game and the winning team runs out the clock.

Now the losing coach decides to get his money's worth with us, dropping 2 f-bombs in my direction in the process. A coach of 8th graders, mind you.

All that for $25.

Next youth games....probably November.

[BlueDevilRef]

$25 for wreck league?? Dang!! Lucky

[Rich]

I won't walk on a floor for less. That's my personal minimum.

[BlueDevilRef]

Two complexes here just went to $18/g, normally 6 games per night. For $25/g, I would do it a lot more

[Rich]

$18? Sorry. Not a chance I'd work for that.

If others felt the same way, they'd pay more.

[BlueDevilRef]

I'm sorry every single time I do it. I wish I were joking.

But no talent clowns like me gotta make extra money somewhere.

[johnny d]

The range for youth leagues around here is 25-40 per game, two man. And even it these fees, it isn't worth the time or effort. I am sure there are leagues that pay less than 25 per game, but the only people working those leagues would be strictly rec. league officials.

Originally Posted by johnny d

The range for youth leagues around here is 25-40 per game, two man. And even it these fees, it isn't worth the time or effort. I am sure there are leagues that pay less than 25 per game, but the only people working those leagues would be strictly rec. league officials.

You can make 40 per game? I need to drive up to Chicago.

20 per game is standard here.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by AremRed

You can make 40 per game? I need to drive up to Chicago.

Our youth leagues run anywhere from $26 (Rec, mostly untrained officials) to $42 (CYA, trained officials).

[deecee]

I wouldn't do an unsanctioned game for anything less than $100/hr. I just have no patience or desire to want to babysit adults anymore, or deal with Pat Riley's wannabes at the 5th grade level.

The only AAU summer ball I may do pay at least $25/game and even then I try and limit my off season ball to less than 20 games. This doesn't include anything that may happen at camp if I do go.

[bas2456]

Originally Posted by johnny d

The range for youth leagues around here is 25-40 per game, two man. And even it these fees, it isn't worth the time or effort. I am sure there are leagues that pay less than 25 per game, but the only people working those leagues would be strictly rec. league officials.

If you're working for more $$, must be feeder ball?

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by bas2456

If you're working for more $$, must be feeder ball?

I have worked middle school games for that amount. But mostly it is not worth my time or the money. The behavior of the adults is for the birds.

Peace

[BlueDevilRef]

Man, I need to move. And that is the problem here as well, most of the guys working these leagues are not certified officials.

[Mr.C]

$25 or more is the rate in our area also!

[bas2456]

There's an organization around here that pays $25 per game, and we get assigned at least 4 at a time.

In these games, I don't take much crap from the coaches. If they're on our case, they get an early warning from me and a quick T if they keep at it. We don't get paid enough to listen to crap from people who don't know the rules.

I think some of these people volunteer to coach these teams just so that they can act like John Calipari and Fran McCaffery on the sidelines.

Also, some of the partners I've worked with won't take care of business when they need to, IMO. How does that saying go...We permit what we promote?

That said, the vast majority of the coaches I've encountered in these games have been great. The idiocy of the coaches who make complete asses of themselves is what stands out.