One of the many reasons I enjoy officiating

[Hartsy]

I didn't realize how much I would enjoy this hobby. One of the surprises is how much I enjoy seeing the players of all skill levels playing hard and trying to do their best. Must be the parent in me that can now appreciate that side of the game.

An illustration of what I'm talking about happened just the other day. It was toward the end of a fairly lopsided JV girls game and I whistled for a foul as A1 was driving toward the basket and got a push from B1. A1 was only in for mop up duty (to which I can relate) and I'm sure was really hoping to make a good showing in her limited PT. When she heard the whistle, she looks right at me with disappointment, ball still in hand, and says with a sad voice "Me?" I couldn't help but smile when I said "No, you were pushed"

It's a little thing, but for some reason it sticks with me.