Special Olympics

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by FHSUref
I have officiated the Kansas Special Olympic basketball tournament for the past three years. I see it as an opportunity to give back to some less fortunate individuals. After officiating in the past, I always feel good. It is a place where you are truly appreciated (until this last weekend). Officiating the tourney is strictly volunteer unlike one weekend ago when I was recommended by the coaches to work the class 1A state tournament.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I am officiating a level II (Level I is the highest meaning that they function well) where they travel a little and get 8 seconds in the lane and double dribble etc.... It is tough because where do you draw the line? In HS you base fouls on advantage/disadvantage. Well, a coach, whose game I just officiated, starts to yell at me after one of the players who had a hard time dribbling to begin with dribbled out of bounds. He told me that I am terrible and I need to call more fouls and get in the game. I was taken by surprise and proceeded to tell him that this was volunteer only and that nobody was getting a paycheck. He told me, "I am a volunteer too." To which my reply was, "Then you should know to keep your mouth shut."

I normally wouldn't have said anything at all to a coach at special olympics but he crossed over the line when he was telling his players how bad I was and on top of that, they booed us a few trips later down the court. I still can't believe that he would act like this and let his players do the same.

I know I am angry now but I will have a hard time giving up a friday and saturday next year to officiate special olympics.

He's not doing his players any favors by teaching them to show you disrespect. He should be reported to the powers that be and removed from his position. Special Olympics needs you a lot more than they need him.