Clean your Whistle

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by Forksref
When I worked in school administration, I made sure that the officials had all of the above plus I'd make sure they got a sandwich or sub to take with them after the game. That school still adheres to that policy. Officials love to work there. I think each school should assign someone, student or otherwise to make sure the officials are taken care of. Wouldn't take much effort to get it done. And it goes a long way.

May I jump up onto my soapbox for about 30 seconds, please, and just briefly touch on the subject of...

Taking Care of a Mixed-Gender Crew of Referees

When a crew includes one male and one female (I haven't done any 3-whistle yet) ref, there needs to be a place where they can go for pre-game and half-time, preferably in neither team's locker room, and preferably where they both can still have access to all their stuff. I've only been to one school here in Portland that really takes the needs of mixed gender crews into account. Usually, I get the gym teacher's office which will have a window or two, which is in the dressing room of one of the teams (who often have a male coach), and my partner can't come in there (remember, I do mostly girls' ball). There will sometimes be another room where we can go together, but I can't get at my stuff. Or he can't get at his stuff. Or both.

A particular very nice school in the Portland area, in a very up-scale neighborhood is in the process of building a brand new building with an impressive new gym with all the amenities -- except that when I asked the basketball coach (who happens to be a friend of mine) about new facilities for the refs, he just looked at me blankly and said, "Like what?" WOW!! Their current provision is a single room with about 5 tons of various broken pieces of equipment, two or three old chairs, several lockers that don't close properly, a shower and urinal that don't work. Oh, yeah, and the old furnace. And their brand new, multi-million dollar school building isn't going to have any ref facilities at all. Oh, well, at least they treat both men and women refs equally bad.

Thanks for my 30 seconds. I'll quit now.

[ace]

Im bored... im waiting on my gear to finish drying so i can repack for tommorow... Rainmaker...

If you typed your "soap box" speak in 30 seconds your typing at a rate of 10.5 words PER SECOND! or 614 words per minute.... thats incredibly stupid fast....


its amazing what you can do when your bored. I think i should probably be working on this english paper.

[BktBallRef]

Originally posted by rainmaker
Their current provision is a single room with about 5 tons of various broken pieces of equipment, two or three old chairs, several lockers that don't close properly, a shower and urinal that don't work.

How do you know the urinal doesn't work?

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by BktBallRef

How do you know the urinal doesn't work?

Because the drain is completely covered with leaves, old chewing gum and other assorted litter. Don't ask me how the leaves got in there.

Ace -- you're right, I don't type that fast! If I were to read the words aloud, though, they would be about 45 seconds, which is still too long, but not as long as it took me to type them. I wasn't literally standing on a soap-box either. I have no clue where to even get one. I was just metaphorically referring to an earlier time in American History, when the only way express one's opinion was to stand on the street corner and shout. Increasing one's altitude helped. It was just an allusion. Got it?

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally posted by rainmaker
[/B]

How do you know the urinal doesn't work?

[/B][/QUOTE]
Because the drain is completely covered with leaves, old chewing gum and other assorted litter. Don't ask me how the leaves got in there.

[/B][/QUOTE]So? None of that bothers us men!

[mick]

Originally posted by rainmaker
Don't ask me how the leaves got in there.

Fig leaves.
Adam put on his stripes.

[BK]

Originally posted by Ref Ump Welsch
I had a science teacher in high school who never cleaned his coffee mug. It kinda grossed me out, but when he explained why, it made sense. Said that all of the germs build on each other, and then your body starts to build immunity, etc. Once I heard that, I was like why bother cleaning the whistles??? I'm gonna be healthy after a game! Hee hee.

What a pig!

Hey BK,

That science teacher never missed a day of work by the way. I find I'm healthier during my football and basketball season. Smile. You probably think I'm even more of a pig right now. Important thing is I keep the whistle looking clean. Just the mouth piece I run under warm water to get any junk off it if needed.

[rcwilco]

When I officiated in Denver it was feast or famine sometimes. One school district had a great room to change in, provided refreshments and a thank you card while another put us in the kind of room that Julie refered to.

Well now I am going to clean my whistle to stay healthy, no I am going to soak it, disinfect it, mouthwash it and put it in the autoclave. No actually I am going to leave it alone.

[Camron Rust]

Originally posted by rainmaker
Their current provision is a single room with about 5 tons of various broken pieces of equipment, two or three old chairs, several lockers that don't close properly, a shower and urinal that don't work. Oh, yeah, and the old furnace.

I know where you're talking about. At least it's fairly roomy. I didn't think it was that bad. The shower works and has warm water (if you let it run a little while). There are many places that are even worse.

[Mark Dexter]

Originally posted by Ref Ump Welsch
I find I'm healthier during my football and basketball season.

Exercise.

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by Camron Rust

I know where you're talking about. At least it's fairly roomy. I didn't think it was that bad. The shower works and has warm water (if you let it run a little while). There are many places that are even worse.

Yes, fairly roomy. The shower is useable? I've never tried it having always been there in mixed company. But it is reasonably close to the floor, unlike Barlow, where it's 15 minutes down to dressing room, and 15 back.

...and has a full size door, unlike PAA, where, folks, get this -- the door into the "refs dressing room" is only five feet tall. I'm dead serious. Ask Camron if you don't believe me. Virtually everyone has to duck under the door and then take about three steps around a corner still ducking down. Once you're inside, it's not too bad, I suppose, and there is a shower that works, and a mirror at an appropriate height. But that entryway would completely do in anyone with any claustrophobia at all. It's definitely a deal-breaker.

[davidw]

I haven't seen anyone address the fact that we have one basketball being handled by as many as 20+ different sets of hands (which have been who knows where) whereupon we (officials) then handle the same ball many times and then grab our whistles with those same hands.

Since I made that observation several years ago, I have since been very careful in how I grab my whistle when replacing it in my mouth. I make sure I grab it by the body of the whistle, being careful not to touch the tip (the part that goes in my mouth). I found it is easiest to do that by using only my thumb and middle finger.

Does it make a difference? I don't know for sure, but after seeing many players over the years coughing, sneezing, not washing their hands after using the restrooms etc.(knowing they have to handle the same ball I do), I feel better taking this extra precaution. FWIW.

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by rainmaker
folks, get this -- the door into the "refs dressing room" is only five feet tall. I'm dead serious. Ask Camron if you don't believe me. Virtually everyone has to duck under the door . . .

Not. . . one. . . freakin'. . . word. . .

[rcwilco]

Of course not Chuck. I am sure that not oneperson even thought anything!