My weekend

[blindzebra]

With all the horror stories popping up, I thought I'd share.

Friday night I have the semi finals of a Boys and Girls Club high school division.

The second game was two rival high school teams, we had two double technicals fouls, two intentional fouls, four kids fouled out, with a bench T at the end against the winning team for taunting.

Saturday was the tournament for the local youth leagues high school division. Five games including a rematch of a very close game from 3 weeks ago that I did where we had 5 technicals, including an ejection, two intentional fouls, and 2 kids fouling out all in the first HALF!

Surprisingly all went well, but as I was leaving my cell phone went off and not being the type to leave a fellow ref hanging, off I go to do a men's league semis and championship game.

Typical rec league in playoffs, physical play, tons of complaining, and T's sprinkled throughout the 3 games.

With 2 minutes to go in the final, a hard fought, close game one of the more vocal players drives to the basket attempting to draw a foul and literally launches himself Superman style at the defender who managed to avoid the flopper. The flopper goes splat and as his teammate is putting in a lay up, he rolls into the player he missed.They both go to the floor and in a nice wrestling move the flopper gets the defender in a head lock.

I'm lead and they are literally in my lap. I'm blasting the whistle, yelling at them to let go. Players from both teams are trying to peel them apart. Luckily nobody else is losing it and we get the two apart and as we do the defender who was in the head lock throws a punch that missed. I almost caught the elbow as it went past.

Both get tossed. We managed to get it done without anything else happening.

Sunday was the semis and championship of the men's league I've been doing since the high school season ended.

Three good games, hard fought without too much craziness, although I did call an intentional foul on a player who Mahorned a guy going to the basket.

The same guy two trips later face guarded the guy he was guarding, I said,"Get your hand out of his face," he pulled it back a little than went right back, so I whacked him.

Surprisingly, I did not get a lot of grief for the call.

I'm tired, but I survived.

[Edited by blindzebra on May 23rd, 2005 at 04:08 AM]

[rainmaker]

Since we're all sharing...

I also had a very intense basketball weekend. Saturday, three games in the qualifying tournament for the BCI thingy. Two 18yo games, and one 13yo game. The 18 games were both very,very fast, and hard fought. The one game was between two state tournament teams. The other with two "classics" (or whatever it's called) teams with players who hope to go to the national BCI to get scholarships. The thing was, I did great. Had a very good partner, stayed ahead of the play and up with the ball. Handled coaches (see Stupid Coach thread), and generally felt great about the day.

Sunday was my biggest 3-whistle clinic. It was fantastic. People LOVE my teaching system, and both of my D1 evaluators who were there commended me for the work I was doing for "basketball officiating in Oregon." Many of my attenders have said that they intend to bring a carload of buddies next year, and I have two college assignors who are going to send their wannabes to my clinics next year. It's been fantastic. I worked a couple of games myself, and I have learned so much that I received a number of positive comments from clinicians about my progress.

In one game that I worked, the fans were chanting "Refs Suck!" Refs Suck!" during the second half. I heard it, knew what to do, and did it. Not one flash of red at all. I was amazed at my own attitude. I was doing a great job for the game, and I knew it. A bunch of ill-informed, bad-attitude parents didn't get under my skin at all. BIG BIG step for me!

And I finally got my hands on a men's mechanics manual!! And it wasn't even from a college ref. It was from someone who was studying, and hoping to move up. He plans to order a new one as soon as they come out, so he gave me the 2004-2005 one.

The only success left to rack up during this very successful venture would be for one of my campers to get picked up, and to get a few college games for myself.

Hey, BZ, sorry you're weekend was so lousy. Want to come to my clinic next weekend, and have a better one?

[blindzebra]

Originally posted by rainmaker
Since we're all sharing...

I also had a very intense basketball weekend. Saturday, three games in the qualifying tournament for the BCI thingy. Two 18yo games, and one 13yo game. The 18 games were both very,very fast, and hard fought. The one game was between two state tournament teams. The other with two "classics" (or whatever it's called) teams with players who hope to go to the national BCI to get scholarships. The thing was, I did great. Had a very good partner, stayed ahead of the play and up with the ball. Handled coaches (see Stupid Coach thread), and generally felt great about the day.

Sunday was my biggest 3-whistle clinic. It was fantastic. People LOVE my teaching system, and both of my D1 evaluators who were there commended me for the work I was doing for "basketball officiating in Oregon." Many of my attenders have said that they intend to bring a carload of buddies next year, and I have two college assignors who are going to send their wannabes to my clinics next year. It's been fantastic. I worked a couple of games myself, and I have learned so much that I received a number of positive comments from clinicians about my progress.

In one game that I worked, the fans were chanting "Refs Suck!" Refs Suck!" during the second half. I heard it, knew what to do, and did it. Not one flash of red at all. I was amazed at my own attitude. I was doing a great job for the game, and I knew it. A bunch of ill-informed, bad-attitude parents didn't get under my skin at all. BIG BIG step for me!

And I finally got my hands on a men's mechanics manual!! And it wasn't even from a college ref. It was from someone who was studying, and hoping to move up. He plans to order a new one as soon as they come out, so he gave me the 2004-2005 one.

The only success left to rack up during this very successful venture would be for one of my campers to get picked up, and to get a few college games for myself.

Hey, BZ, sorry you're weekend was so lousy. Want to come to my clinic next weekend, and have a better one?

You paying the air fare?

Actually it was not lousy, challenging yes, tiring without a doubt, but I would not call it lousy.

This type of challenge is why whenever a less experienced official brings up rec ball I always say work as many games as you can.

You may not use all of the official's manual mechanics, but you get to test out every possible game managment technique and you will see all kinds of funky stuff...or once in a lifetime kind of plays.

I'd much rather have to test my rules knowledge of how to handle one of those plays in a rec league than screw it up in a school game.

I've learned how to clean up a bad situation, take charge of the inmates attempting to run the asylum, and if not turn it around, at least steer it to conclusion without it going completely in the toilet.

Like they say, whatever does not kill you will make you stronger. My weekend made me a better official.

[M&M Guy]

My weekend - I went golfing, had 2 birdies, and still shot 89. How's that for words that rhyme with "trucks"?

But, admittedly, it's not quite the same as working rec league/CYO/YMCA/etc. That's why I've stopped doing those leagues, even though they do help give you some appreciation of regular season HS and college. I'm getting geared up for camp season, so I guess I'll get what's comin' to me then. In the meantime, doesn't it feel good to know you've handled things differently than you've done in the past? Improvement is a great feeling.