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

I think I'm ready to retire from wreck league. I was talking with a well-respected official in our state the other night that I was lucky enough to be assigned a game with, and he was talking about how at some point you graduate from that wreck stuff. Every time some idiot makes a comment to me there, I think about Rich's story about the jamboree where he just sat the ball on the table and went home. I dream of the day that I do something similar to that or just grab the ball and punt it into the rafters and say "over the back this," while making the appropriate gesture.

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. Shouldn't that be sent to the players? They earn them. I don't disagree with the fact that yes they will talk, but setting the expectation that it's acceptable for those guys to be jerks doesn't make it easy on us. I decided I'm just going to call my game and give out T's like candy this year, and if he doesn't like it he can take me off the games.

This past weekend in a men's league, a team brought 4 women to play. I checked the rules and there really wasn't anything about women, so we decided to let them play. One of the women was chirping about 3 seconds every time down the court, so I warned and whacked when she wouldn't shut up. Then she was on the sideline and didn't like a PC call against her team that I made and started clapping. I just whacked her and told her to get out. She and her team were incredulous that I'd give a second T "just for clapping," but as you can probably tell I'm at the point where I'm not going to put up with anything from them this year. $25 a game isn't worth listening to hacks complain, so maybe they'll figure out eventually that I don't put up with BS.

I guess I needed to vent and am wondering at what point you all knew it was time to be done with that stuff (if you ever called any wreck league games). Re-reading this post, I think I know my answer. I can't see myself doing it next year, and I'll be surprised if I make it all the way through this year doing a full varsity slate, occasional all-day Saturday tourneys, and this Sunday night men's league garbage without quitting the men's league, but I'm curious about other officials who I respect and how they handle(d) this stuff.

Once I started receiving an all Varsity high school schedule.

I knew a veteran guy who worked just about every night including doing some college games. On Wednesdays he did Rec ball, 3 games at $25/game. He never got excited, never took too much crap, never worried about the calls he made or what others thought, and the next week he was there doing it all over again. I know he did it for at least 15 years and he may still be doing it today for all I know.

I think everyone has a tolerance level for what you're willing to take on. I don't think it should matter if you are doing NCCA D1 or 7th grade girls, if you enjoy the game and are willing to work the, do it.

For me it was time to get out when my partners showed up 5 minutes into the game, and couldn't be tasked with getting to at least half court. And I really knew it was time when I carried this baggage with me when I got home.

when you ask "How do you know when it's time to hang it up from wreck league":D

Never work one

For me, it was the third time I did it. That night, my partner, who was the regular guy and I was the fill in, would makes calls in my area every time down floor. And when I say that I mean that he literally called a foul on my lane line when I was lead, from the other end line from where he had not moved for the action on the end we were on. Yes, I'm talking about 90 feet away. When it happened I literally yelled "what are you doing down there? That's my call"

That was enough for me and won't be going back. Crap like that will not help my game.

And I said this because, from the beginning, the guys who brought me into officiating had the philosophy that Rec Ball was to be used as a training ground. And once I started getting all Varsity games, that portion of my training was no longer needed.

That would be my cue to exit stage left.

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.

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?

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

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.

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.

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

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.