What season # is this for you? Retirement Looming?

[ilyazhito]

I hope you get to Division 1, or the NBA, if that is what you aspire to. I'm in my 5th season overall, and 2nd season at the varsity level. I'll continue officiating for as long as God allows me to, and I also want to be able to go out on top (a championship assignment of some sort).

[grunewar]

Like several of the others here, I started later in life. I began after I coached my kids in all their sports, and they were pretty much done with school and I had some time to spare.

I'm older (59) and have been reffing for 15 yrs. I pick and choose my games and can do as many at whatever level as I want. I won't do more than three a day as I don't feel I can give 100% after that. I mostly do HS Var and older Church and Rec Leagues (18U and 16U). I seldom do AAU.

I average ~ 150 games a yr and have had my share of injuries over the yrs AND three surgeries! Last yr I developed a problem with my iliotibial band in my right knee which side-lined me for most of the HS season. I now where knee braces, stretch more, takes some meds, and actually feel pretty good. We'll see how it goes this Jan/Feb and if I can do my usual 50 games or so those two months.

I agree that when the players beat me down the court and I don't feel I can keep up, I'll stop doing the V games. Younger Rec ball I can keep going for a while more.

I still like the exercise, enjoy the camaraderie with my peers, and feel I can continue to teach and mentor junior officials for a while more.

[billyu2]

When I got to the point in my 30 years of officiating where I started to consider when to retire, I was working exclusively varsity basketball. Over the years I had collected these three principles to guide my final decision.
1. It's better to go out a little too early than too late regarding your health,
attitude and level of competency.
2. Be honest with yourself so you can make the call. Not a doctor or assigners.
Knew of guys who thought they could still do it. Assigners thought
otherwise and either had to tell them or, worse yet, phased them out
with no explanation. The guys couldn't understand it.
3. If possible, try to make or hope your final game is unique and memorable.

[ilyazhito]

Billy, so are you already retired, or are you just considering retiring now. That might influence what you have to say. If you're still active, may the Force be with you, and may you get a playoff game on the way out. If you are retired, congratulations on a long and successful.career, and may you enjoy retirement.

[billyu2]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

Billy, so are you already retired, or are you just considering retiring now. That might influence what you have to say. If you're still active, may the Force be with you, and may you get a playoff game on the way out. If you are retired, congratulations on a long and successful.career, and may you enjoy retirement.

Thank you! I retired at the end of the 2014 season. Those 3 guidelines were instrumental in my decision. I look back with all positives. Very fortunate!

[JRutledge]

This is my 24th season. Feeling relatively good at this point in my career. I have worked my last State Final in Illinois and probably in the next few years might give that up totally. I will stay working college or try to stay working as much college as possible moving forward. I am at a crossroads in my career as things will have to change in order to stay working the levels I work. I have had some nagging injuries recently that makes me wonder about how many games I should be working, but not to the point where I feel like I must do something drastic at this point. Still love it and would love to work until I am 70, but not sure that will happen.

Peace

[LRZ]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Still love it and would love to work until I am 70, but not sure that will happen.

Peace

Jeff, I can tell you that 70 is a life sea change. It may be just a number, but what a number!

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by billyu2

If possible, try to make or hope your final game is unique and memorable.

Even though I gave back my entire varsity schedule last year, there was one late afternoon vocational technical school varsity game that my assigner left on my schedule, a game between two rival vocational technical schools that generated enough interest for a local television station to assign a camera crew to the game. During a timeout I mentioned to the reporter that this was going to be my last varsity game due to a chronic medical condition. The game turned out to be one-sided so the story on the late night news, weather, and sports featured me as a retiring veteran. "Let's go to the videotape" meant let's go to BillyMac.

[billyu2]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Even though I gave back my entire varsity schedule last year, there was one late afternoon vocational technical school varsity game that my assigner left on my schedule, a game between two rival vocational technical schools that generated enough interest for a local television station to assign a camera crew to the game. During a timeout I mentioned to the reporter that this was going to be my last varsity game due to a chronic medical condition. The game turned out to be one-sided so the story on the late night news, weather, and sports featured me as a retiring veteran. "Let's go to the videotape" meant let's go to BillyMac.

Perfect!