How did you know when to hang it up from wreck league?

[Adam]

Originally Posted by UNIgiantslayers

This year, our coordinator literally sent out an email that said "you should expect to hear talk back from the players and spectators," when talking about how to handle these games and how there were too many technicals last year.

Just email the coordinator back and politely decline any more of his games. You ask when you know it's time to retire, it's time to walk away when a coordinator sends out this bull shit. I quit reading at this point to make this post, now I'll read the rest and see if anything changes my mind.

For me, I walked away when I realized the money wasn't worth the aggravation and time away from my family.

[Adam]

The only caveat I'd add after reading the rest, if you decide to do it, keep calling your technical fouls to TCOB. If the coordinator doesn't like it, he can stop assigning you.

Is the coordinator even an official?

[UNIgiantslayers]

Originally Posted by Adam

The only caveat I'd add after reading the rest, if you decide to do it, keep calling your technical fouls to TCOB. If the coordinator doesn't like it, he can stop assigning you.

Is the coordinator even an official?

I believe he is state certified, but doesn't work any games. The state certification is an open-book test fwiw.

Also wondering if anyone finds the T for clapping unnecessary? I'm not sure that I would do that in a HS game because it might be hard to justify to an assignor, but this league is at the bottom of my list as far as priorities this year.

BigCat, my reasons for doing this league are pretty simple. I don't need the money, but I love seeing my savings grow when I deposit those checks every 2 weeks. I'm probably too greedy for my own good. This league actually probably costs me fitness, as my long runs for marathon training are a bit shorter knowing I have to go work 5 games Sunday nights.

[deecee]

I did it for about 3-4 years and stopped when I wanted to physically kill more than half the players.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by UNIgiantslayers

I believe he is state certified, but doesn't work any games. The state certification is an open-book test fwiw.

Also wondering if anyone finds the T for clapping unnecessary? I'm not sure that I would do that in a HS game because it might be hard to justify to an assignor, but this league is at the bottom of my list as far as priorities this year.

BigCat, my reasons for doing this league are pretty simple. I don't need the money, but I love seeing my savings grow when I deposit those checks every 2 weeks. I'm probably too greedy for my own good. This league actually probably costs me fitness, as my long runs for marathon training are a bit shorter knowing I have to go work 5 games Sunday nights.

So he's not an official. Getting a state certification doesn't make one an official.

As for the clapping: I tossed an AC during a summer game a few years ago for that.

I gave him his first technical for standing to complain about a no-call, then he started clapping and cheering while I reported the T. No hesitation, I simply reported the 2nd T when I was done with the 1st.

[SNIPERBBB]

Either when you dont have time or you dont enjoy it anymore.

Ive always had fun doing pre highscool rec games, part of it is that the people involved appreciate having people that know what we're doing working the games.

Dont buy the BS that rec games ruins your mechanics, the guys that say that usually have bad mechanics to start with.

[jpgc99]

When someone first starts officiating, they have to get court time. You aren't going to have much control over the level of play or the quality of your partners at this early stage in the game. And, it really doesn't matter. You just need to see plays.

At some point, the good ones start to rise above that. As you rise, you get better games, better partners, better quality ball. As you move up, you will realize at a certain point that working wreck ball no longer helps you improve as an official. In fact, you will get to a point where you feel that it makes you worse (Having your partner make incorrect calls right in front of you, screw up mechanics, miss blatant calls so that you start peering into their coverage area).

When these negative aspects of wreck ball outweigh the benefit of floor time, it is time to quit.

[BigT]

My last wreck game I tossed a player and swore I wasn't returning. Even though I was working with a friend. I think kid wreck can be fun and rewarding. Anything else I am slowing down with. It is not worth the gravitation. I'd take a week off and see if you really miss it. The T for clapping was perfect. And if you stick to it I would continue to call unsporting behavior and penalize it. When they are gone the game goes so much better.

[RefsNCoaches]

I work with a couple of youth leagues in my area (Jr High aged girls travel and a Jr High/HS boys league) ...I stay with them because they take the aspect of sportsmanship highly and don't tolerate parents officiating from the stands or getting ignorant with the officials. I work them for exercise, my love of the game and extra money. If/when the refs have to TCOB, they back us up...I've tossed my fair share over the years, including a warning to an entire section of parents when I got stuck officiating game by myself cause a pair of guys no showed and my P and I had to split up on two courts.

I swore off Men's Wreck league the night a boxing match broke out...I had been calling games about 3 years at that point (15 years ago). I walked off the floor and swore I'd never , ever work men's league again. Not worth the $20 (at that time) and the amount of whining, complaining and crying was more than what I would have put up with my own kids at home.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Everyone has their own gauges as to what they do and don't enjoy and will and won't tolerate. Having an assignor that will support you is critical. I work a league where I probably take the least amount of crap from players of any of the officials. Most of that has to do with the fact that most of these officials aren't high school certified, and those that are are newer officials, so most of those guys don't have the stones to whack someone unless it gets REALLY, REALLY bad.

That being said, I took a few years off from wreck league a few years back, mainly because I didn't have time for it. But as our school district consolidated some schools, resulting in a lighter high school schedule, I went back to doing wreck league again 2 years ago. The money is decent($35 a game, 3 games per night), and I just don't put up with the idiots. I feel I'm pretty reasonable in communicating with players, but when they just switch to a-hole mode, I whack 'em and move on.

Decide what you want to put up with, see if it aligns with your assignor, and if it doesn't, get out.

[BigCat]

Originally Posted by UNIgiantslayers

I believe he is state certified, but doesn't work any games. The state certification is an open-book test fwiw.

Also wondering if anyone finds the T for clapping unnecessary? I'm not sure that I would do that in a HS game because it might be hard to justify to an assignor, but this league is at the bottom of my list as far as priorities this year.

BigCat, my reasons for doing this league are pretty simple. I don't need the money, but I love seeing my savings grow when I deposit those checks every 2 weeks. I'm probably too greedy for my own good. This league actually probably costs me fitness, as my long runs for marathon training are a bit shorter knowing I have to go work 5 games Sunday nights.

At some point, you will say, "i don't care about the money, I'm not putting up with this BS any more. The BS isn't going to stop. When you get there you will know.

(and one other thing i will add, AND PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT...i don't know if you have kids but yesterday mine were born and today they are 22 and 17. I/we will never get the time that has passed back. I'm 51. If I could, i'd do some things differently for sure.) That may be a reason to continue putting up with the BS if you don't have kids yet. Save money for them, spend time now doing it so that when you have them you can take off etc. )

[BigCat]

There has to be some benefit to you. It's obvious that it isn't fun for you.

If you need the money, maybe you keep doing it. If you see better athletes than the level your at maybe you continue to do it for training. Maybe you need the exercise…. who knows. Those are things only you know.

What I know is that it is probably a universal truth that you will have a certain number of idiots in rec leagues. They have nothing to lose and think they should be in the Final Four or the NBA. You know that too. The rec league coordinator wants to have a league so he is likely to side with the players most if not all the time. That sounds like your coordinator. That stuff is likely not going to change. If knowing that you still feel you need to do it for one of the above reasons, there's your answer. If you don't need it for any reason, there's your answer too.

good luck

[Rufus]

My first season back after a several-year layoff I did both wreck and HS. After the season, and not being home for maybe a couple nights each week, my wife told me to pick one, wreck or school ball, but not both. Easy enough decision really, for all the reasons you stated (plus the pay for school ball was much better for less time invested), and just made sure my assignor knew not to schedule wreck games.

I would still do them occasionally if called (because if my assignor was calling me I knew he'd already worked his way down the list) but every time was a reminder why wreck ball sucks.