Too late for me, but....
 

my 15 y.o son just started his officiating career. Just doing spring house league games in rec ball. He is a stellar player and has a good grasp of the rules and the playing experience to know what to call as well as no call. Had to remind him this is an important game for the players and they deserve his best effort and that now is not the time to fall into bad habits. He is working to sharpen his mechanics and positioning.

Will encourage him to join you fellows for any issues that are beyond me, but, over the last 3 years I have learned an awful lot from you guys.

Thanks again for making available your discussions so I could learn enough technique, rules and philosophy to pass on to my son for him to be an effective official right out of the box.
He is enjoying it so much, he even forgets to ask for a paycheck!!!

My son just completed his first year of HS soccer. He's 21 and a junior at UNC-Greensboro. Boys soccer is in the fall, girls play in the spring. This past Wednesday night, he worked a thrid round state playoff game. I don't know what the kid is doing but the powers that be damn sure like it. But between HS, classic and State Cup matches, he's probably worked more games this year than I did in my first three years of basketball. One thing for sure, he has a much more pleasant disposition than his old man. :)

And while we're bragging, my oldest son graduated from Campbell University this past Monday with a B.S. in Pharmaceutical Science. :D

All in all, a pretty good week!

As we say Down South....Maz'l Tov. If you had known they were going to turn out so well, you should have had 2 or 3 more kids!

Congrats

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

I appreciate you expertise and willingness to provide expert insight, but from what I can tell in your posts, having a more pleasant disposition than his papa is a good thing!! :) You must work hard as a father and I'm glad he is "doing you proud".

Like myself, my oldest son is entering his 3rd year of officiating. We started together as a way to keep him on the court after HS and I'm so proud that he has embraced this as an avocation. My younger son will start this year, I believe, and I think it will be an excellent fit for him.

Both my daughters are walking away this year, which is disappointing, especially for the oldest because she has progressed so well from her 1st to her 2nd year, but she is off on scholarship to a university to major in engineering and does not want to think of working basketball games while away at school - and "thinks she is done for good". The grind of criticism from coaches/fans seemed to wear on the girls more, whereas myself and my son could pretty much care less - we enjoy putting forth our best effort and leaving it at that.

It is tough, imo, to get young adults to try out officiating, but the opportunities for them are so enormous - opportunities in personal growth and career! I wonder if anyone has thoughts on how to best get young adults to try out officiating and then to enhance the probablity that they will stick with it beyond the first year. At what point in your career did you know for certain you would stay with officiating for years to come? For me, it was the 1st year - there was nothing to 'stick out' and my wife understands that the officiating world is stuck with me until I die! It is too bad I did not think about this for myself years before, but I am very thankful I looked into it for my oldest son. The earlier in life you find things to do that you truly love, the better - and you have to try officiating before you know whether it's a good fit or not - getting them to try it can be 'a toughie'.

My invoice is in the mail.

As I read all your posts, it almost seem we all have expereince similar situations. My youngest daughter played basketball since she was in third grade. She now is graduating HS and going to JMU. She actaully was a better soccer player than Basketball, she enter the realm of basketball to share a common interest. Little did she know I enjoyed anything she did becuase she did with heart. Her sophmore year of high school she decided to become an official in rec ball. AS JKJennings commented the fanboys were not easy going just becuase she was a young lady. Well needless to say she couldn't take the criticism she was getting from the Coaches and Parents. I was amazed that she was getting a better reaction from the players than from the parents. Parents can be very critical and hurtful to any officials, no matter how old or young, and sexes don't mean a hella beans. So now she is so turned off to do any officiating of any sport. She has been to some of my games and couldn't understand how it didn't bother me when they yell at me. My simple answer was"what yelling".

...but you never know how time can change her mind. I'm happy to have exposed my daughters to officiating and think that with time they will realize what a good opportunity it is. My oldest daughter began working at a Domino's Pizza last night... I think, as the summer progresses, the experience will help with her re-evaluate of how good an opportunity officiating is! :D

Just wait until someone yells at her that the mushrooms are going over the back. :rolleyes:

The penalty for that comment is a hidden anchovy somewhere under the cheese.

Aaaargh! That's awful. :(