My Experiences ...
 

With the exception of acknowledging JRutledge's obviously busy schedule of games, job, and family, most of my comments in recent posts in this thread were about MY experiences with Connecticut middle schools.

Presumption
 

This (above) was a reply to JRutledege's own post, with me agreeing with him, no way I could disagree, he has his own personal Midwest reasons.

Raymond is correct on this one (below), it was a presumptuous opinion on my part, possibly uncalled for, and possibly incorrect (I've been watching too many Perry Mason reruns on cable).

Bottom line.

Full Disclosure ...
 

Besides working a predominantly middle school schedule now due to my arthritis, because I'm needed due to my daytime availability, and because I enjoy it; I also coached middle school basketball for twenty-five years. We had a secure dressing room for officials with a shower (seldom used), had water available for officials at halftime, scoreboard with team fouls, cheerleaders, and started the games with a live performance (vocal or instrumental) of the National Anthem. Also enjoyed working in a Catholic middle school league on my off nights for about thirty years, even after I no longer needed the money or the experience. Taught in the middle school for thirty years, and had three children participate in middle school sports, at my school, one in basketball.

That's why I'm so passionate about middle school sports, specifically middle school basketball, especially middle school basketball in Connecticut.

The Worst Of The Worst ...
 

We've got some real issues in some of our high schools. Again, these are high schools.

Dress in guidance office. Obviously no shower.

Dress in nurses office. Also, no shower.

Dress in nurses office, but this one has a shower.

Dress in custodians area, right next to snowblowers with snow melting off them forming puddles. There is a custodian shower.

Dress behind the curtain on the stage on one end of the gymnasium. Obviously no shower.

Been to these schools once not in uniform, shame on them, been there twice not in uniform, shame on me.

And of course we have lots of showers with no hot water.

For the record, I am not busier than anyone else. Actually, there are officials busier than me. We all have limits and I am not working middle school basketball. Don't want to, that is it. Did when I was coming up enough. When I got choices I made them. Do not care what goes on in other states.

For the record, I do very little in Indiana. Do not care what Indiana does at that level. Only got my license in Indiana because I was close to many schools and my son and family lived rather close to multiple high schools. Thought I would give it a try. But work less than 15 games total in Indiana and not working middle school to fill out any schedule.

Peace

Choices ...
 

I gave up recreation (youth and men), travel, and AAU many, many years ago. No longer needed the money. No longer needed the experience. My kids were starting to get involved with winter sports (basketball and gymnastics) and I wanted to be there for them. No longer needed (or wanted) to be out four, or five, weeknights and Saturday and/or Sunday.

Kept doing Catholic middle schools because I liked it. Great league. Great assigner. Great partners. Great money. Nearby towns. Gave it up for health reasons (arthritis) because all games were boy/girl doubleheaders. Some triple headers. Also the assigner, my mentor, retired and moved to Florida. Tried it for one season with the new assigner, didn't like it as the culture changed, partners changed, and the geographic area expanded across the river, meaning traffic bottlenecks over a limited number of bridges. My foot got worse and I was out of Dodge. Easy decision.

Now I just work for my high school assigner. Makes my life much simpler.