Rookie-my hat is off to you veterans

[Terrapins Fan]

Rookie,
I started refereeing at 44. I am now 51 and I love it. Stick with it. It gets better and better.

Bad partners are something you have to live with. Coaches on the other hand, never change. They try to work a referee forever. After 3 years I began to do Varsity games. The first year all I ever heard was " That's a JV call" I still make the same calls now that I made my first year on Varsity, but no more complaints from the coaches, well, I mean no more " That was a JV call", now that just tell me I was completely wrong about the call regardless of what the call was....I can be 6 feet from the play and they are 60 feet away and they see it better than I do.

Stick with it, with time you will learn to love it much more than you do today.

[mick]

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

Stick with it, with time you will learn to love it much more than you do today.

Terrapins Fan,
Are you the official from the other forum?
Nice to see you again !
Thanks for coming.
mick

[rainmaker]

It always gets worse this time of year, as the overall record starts to catch up with the coaches, and they've got to find someone to blame it on.

THere are two things you can do to help you feel better about all this, and get your head back in the game.

First, I think you're nearly at the end of the Not-Enough-T's stage. It's time to morph into the Way-Too-Many-T's stage. This is a normal stage of ref development, especially the very old (you and me and Terrapins Fan) and the very young. Go through it, knowing that there is balance in another year or so. WHACK everybody. Well, okay, that's an exaggeration. But quit hesitating. You'll find that a lot of the time (especially at your level) it actually helps the coach by getting him out of officiating mode and back into coaching.

Second, get a tape of one of your games, and study ways that you might appear green and uncertain. Facial expressions, body language, habits of voice that seem tentative or less than confident. I remember the first time I caught a glimpse of myself as I ran past a mirror on the way off the floor into the dressing room. Wow, I looked awful. No wonder coaches yelled at me. I made a change in my make-up routine and the very next game the yelling was cut down by half. Now that particular change probably won't help you much! But find something in your appearance that could look significantly more calm. Work on it.

It also might help to take a few days off, right now, if you can. You might be able to collect yourself, and feel better, and also come across better to observers.

One more thing. Learn to ignore the fans. They are the definitive Clueless and not nearly as attractive as Alicia Silverstone. Learn to have a curtain up that just stops all the yelling and all the crap. You can do it. It's not always easy.

We are all here for you, Dan!! Stick to it!

[mplagrow]

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

The first year all I ever heard was " That's a JV call" . . .

"Sorry, coach. It was a JV violation!"

[Chess Ref]

Well Dan I have had some of the same things happen to me. i was working with the D level official who showed up and promptly told both coaches it was my first year. And yes I got to work on my game management skills ALL NIGHT while my so called partner went through our 2 game set without a care in the world. He also lectured me on the T I awarded the coach for his screaming at me as I reported a foul. It just comes with the territory....

Last week working with a 6 game vet. He had a total of 6 games under his belt. The only problem was he knew all the coaches. He played on an adult rec team with them and didn't block them from his schedule. So I became the mark. Gratefully my personal POE this year is coach/bench control. We didn't have too many problems after my first T minutes into the game.

I also started at 41. My first year I worked on mechanics, my coverage area, and putting air in the whistle. I am into my 3rd season and I am a competent Frosh/JV ref. Perfect-not even close. But my assignor handpicks me for the bigger match ups in town. The second half of my JV game had over 1300 people show up to make sure that got seats for the varsity game.

This board has been the MOST important asset in my improving as an official. I do all the other things-listen to vets, watch the vets,read my books etc. but this board has made a difference in that I get to stay away from personal philosophy and stick to the books and manuals......

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by Chess Ref

I also started at 41. My first year I worked on mechanics, my coverage area, and putting air in the whistle. I am into my 3rd season and I am a competent Frosh/JV ref. ....

Maybe we should start a club!! "Late bloomers United!"

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

Maybe we should start a club!! "Late bloomers United!"

Can I join? I ref'd my first game when I was 37.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Can I join? I ref'd my first game when I was 37.

I did my first varsity basketball game 2 weeks after I turned 16. I also did my first varsity football game when I was 15. I was too dumb to be nervous. Never got any smarter either.

[dan74]

Morning-Late Bloomers United (yes, Jurassic, the board has approved your membership)

Someone mentioned that it gets better. I agree. I had a good week. First, I took my time. Second, I called what I saw, rather than second guess myself all night. Third, all the coaches were composed and seemed like they've been coaching the game for a while.

Question: When working two person and at the trail, with the ball being controlled by A1 in your area (front court), where do you look. I had a partner tell me that he thought I was looking to low, which I quite possibly am, as I'm trying to see traveling.

Do ya's look at an area; waist of ball handler/defender; lower, like towards the feet. My parter said he looks at an area-he said about shoulder high but can also see the feet for any traveling calls.

[mplagrow]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

I did my first varsity basketball game 2 weeks after I turned 16. I also did my first varsity football game when I was 15. I was too dumb to be nervous. Never got any smarter either.

They had sports back then?