Sold down the road
 

I was working 8th grade girls tonight, and my partner (I'll call him Smitty) was apparently chummy with everyone in the school. He had coached the boys team, and all the boys were in the stands. I was lead on a fast break, and the defender was side by side with the dribbler. The dribbler pulled up short of the basket and travelled. I called the travel, and the coach goes nuts--you know, "How is that not a foul," etc. Then he comes out with this one: "Look at Smitty! He's laughing because he knows she got fouled!"

I didn't look at Smitty (he was too far down the court for me to bother with, as hustle is not his strong suit). I put the ball in play, and at the end of the quarter, I asked him why he was laughing. "Oh, she was pushed. The girl had a hand in her back." All the boys in the stands are yelling, "Hey Smitty, why were you laughing?" So he went over to shoot the breeze with them.

I hate how that comes off looking to a visiting coach. I know I'd encounter less of this if I focused more on high school ball, but I enjoy the grade schoolers, and I guess it comes with the territory (sigh).

the lower the level and the less important the game the less i think about it after

You should have asked him why HE didn't call the foul if he saw her being pushed.

Nice of Smitty to not call the foul and bail you out, but then, helping his partner was never Smitty's strength.

But apparently watching his partner's area from a distance is. As well as his distance vision. ;)

Mention this to your Scheduling Secretary?

We have a policy of staying away from very familiar surroundings and schools a referee has some sort of relationship with.

I would probably do something to embarass Smitty.

So you are going to be just like Smitty...two wrongs make a right?

I would just make sure I never work with Smitty again. I would make sure all of my friends know why too at the Association meetings. He throws me under the bus at a game? I have no qualms throwing him under the bus at an association meeting. This is with the caveat that this story is extreme. I have never worked with anyone that bad.

Wow that statement kind of sets me back. ALL games are important, ALL levels are important. With out 4 grade through 9 grade basketball there is no place for the kids to learn and develope which would make the precious JV and V games non exsistant.

Maybe i am just in a bad mood today but I can not believe any official would say any game is not important!:mad:

J carter, I agree. To the kids on the floor, regardless of age, that is the most important game of the day. I try to always remind myself of that even if I'm doing a 6th grade CYO game.

Announcing the arrival of the political correctness police.

I've never worked a 4th grade game with a band and the anthem played beforehand. I've never seen the freshman standings in the newspaper, either.

I never said anything about doing anything wrong. This is the type official who can be dealt with by doing the right thing boldly. That would probably embarass Smitty.


I thought Deecee just said he wouldn't think about the game much after it was over; did he say the game wasn't important?

Every level of ball is posted in our news paper. I just worked a game last week, 8th grade and the band was there and so where all the cheerleaders. Yes I will agree with you that JV and Varsity games as a community status are more publisized, and they are also more highly attended but they are no more important than any other level of game!

Do you ref for status or because you love the game?

and before you go off with the comments of oh, I must be a guy that has never worked the upper level, I have. In basketball, Varsity on down, in baseball, small college on down. Slow pitch softball, Major/AA on down to 5 and 6 year olds. So i have worked upper division in a few sports but i still preffer going to the roots, the youngsters!

Take it easy, this aint about anybody's schedule. Some games are more important than others, that's just the way it is.

When I was working youth rec leagues there would be times when less than half the team would show up, or come on time, or the coach would run in 2 minutes before game time and the first 5 kids that he saw were his starters. Or maybe he didn't show up at all and some parent got the job of sitting on the bench with the kiddies.

If these games aren't "important" enough for the entire team to show up for then why should I consider them "important"?