Why you officiate...

[Ref in PA]

I get paid to exercise!

I love the game, I can't stand injustices, that is why I initially began reffing. I was sitting in the stands and felt I could do a better job than what I was seeing. So I took the test and started the never ending process of becoming a better official. Hopefully some of my enthusiasm for improvement has helped some of my peers.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by Ref in PA

I get paid to exercise!

yea, that's the reason I started, but now it's because of the monkey on my back. I hate those jittery withdrawals that come mid-March.

[stewcall]

When I first saw an official walk out on a basketball court, I thought what a cool way to have fun. They must really get treated well. I bet they have a great place to chill out before and after the game. Free food, a nice lounge, a treated like something special.
.................................................. .....................................
Rookie year---- guess i got that wrong............................................. .....

Second year............... there are some really neat people who officiate.... really nice to work with and be social with... yea a few that aren't for me.. but that's ok

Third year... lots to learn... the kids can be fun to watch and see them grow... coaches are great--before the game and nice people 12 hours later.......................

and now---- nice to stay involved with real kids... the extra $ comes in handy---does keep me mentally and physically sharp...keeps me learning and meeting new people.. yea the locker rooms and the old coaches offices to stink, but boy are we special ?
at least in our own minds....

Finally I understand: nobody cares about the official after a game except for other officials-- no one comes to a game to see the official---and when the whistle gets hung up, someone will come along and the GAME goes on...

Stew in VA

[Junker]

Isn't it obvious? For the chicks! They can't get enough of a man in black polyester pants and under armor underneath! Actually I like basketball because of the challenge. I also work baseball and football, but basketball is tougher both physically and mentally. The extra money doesn't hurt either.

[Terrapins Fan]

I love everything about the game.

Everyone has pretty much hit the nail on the head. I exercise, I get paid. I feel pretty much the same as Stewcall does, and the way chayce does too.

Plus chick do dig the uni...

Anyone can play it and they do. 2nd grade to the pros.

We have guys in our association in their 40th year of officiating. I hope I can do it for another 15 to 20 years. But my family is more important than anything else.

[cmckenna]

I do it because of the constant yelling at that I recieve... The constant second guessing... getting questioned about everything..... always feeling like you did everything wrong.... always having someone upset with you...


And that is why I do it.... because officiating gets me out of the house and away from all of the stuff above....

[IREFU2]

Originally Posted by bgtg19

Everyone (O.K., not everyone, but a lot of people) goes through a stage where they think about hanging up the whistle. I'm going through that now. (Not for age or health reasons - I'm in my 30s and in good shape - just wondering whether all the time and cr@p is worth it.)

Although I'm sure we've had threads like this before, I thought it might be helpful to hear why you do what you do. I certainly understand that my decision will be ... well, my decision. I'm not looking for you to decide for me. I'm just looking for you to share YOUR reasons which might help me as I explore my own. Thanks.

I do it for a number of reasons with pay be last. Kids need role models these days and thats what I try to be to them. Its often nice when you are walking through the mail and a player recognizes you and says, "hey Mr. Ref"!

[Raymond]

I started b/c I need a part-time job when my family situation changed. I immediately fell in love with officiating. There have been many times I have become frustrated for various reasons and considered quitting.

But bottomline I continue to officiate for 3 reasons:

• I use my officiating paychecks to pay off my X-mas and credit card bills every year

• I very much enjoy being around the game. I no longer have a desire to play, but I love being on the court to officiate games. I think no matter what, I will always continue to ref HS ball.

• I still have aspirations to at least reach D2/D3 officiating. I have 3 very good friends whom I've seen rise from reffing military intra-murals/JV/middle school games and are now working D1 schedules. I started out at a lot older age than those 3 and none them had kids to raise like I do so I never expect to make it to their levels, but knowing I have the same training/officiating philosophies/mentoring/& roots makes me optimistic that I can least make it to the small college level.

[grunewar]

I played - and got too old.

I coached - and then my kids got too old.

Now, I ref and love it. Especially since now I know a heck of a lot more than I ever did as a player and a coach. I'm starting to really understand the game!

[Ref Daddy]

Two reasons:

1) the Challange. I read that public speaking is the average person's greatest fear. I feel refereeing an athletic contest is even more demanding. It is a real test of personal discipline. Offer your whistle one time to that parent raising cain in the stands and see what happens.

2) The Kids: No referee, no contest except in the school yard. Basketball will soon become a game unfamiliar to me if that is where it survives without competent officials.

[refnrev]

1. I do it because I love it -- all three sports.
2. I love the interaction with the kids and other officials.
3. I love it because it is so different than what I do for a living.
4. I like having a hobby that I am good at and can keep being challenged and grow.
5. It has helped me learn that most of the time when people complain about things it really isn't about me, but their situation.
6. I feel so much better physically and emotionally during all three seasons.
7. I look good in stripes and have this thing for polyester!


Sure there are nights I think about hanging up the stripes. I went through a real slump recently and just wasn't having much fun. See my thread "It finally dawned on me." from a few days ago. Then I have a HS game like the one tonight with the flow and the pace and the loud crowds in the gym and the calls... as long as I still get that rush.... at least sometimes.... I'm going to stick with it. Ride out the lows because they do pass. Enjoy the highs because they feel so good! Try to find the balance.

[mplagrow]

It's all about CONTROL! We ref because we are anal control freaks, and enjoy being in charge of EVERYTHING IN THE GYM! We can cite point by point, letter by letter, where the rule book tells us we are right and everyone else is wrong! If the President of the United States walks in, within the confines of those four walls, you outrank him!

Oh yeah, and the kids too.

[rockyroad]

Originally Posted by mplagrow

It's all about CONTROL! We ref because we are anal control freaks, and enjoy being in charge of EVERYTHING IN THE GYM!

I'm guessing that this is said in jest, but then again maybe not...in the mid-90's I went to a "try-out" type of camp. One of the evaluators stood up in front of the group, pointed to several of us and asked each the question "Why do you officiate?" As each of us (and I was one of the ones chosen) gave our answer, he replied with "Bullsh!t. Sit down."

Eventually he went on a little tirade in which he pointed out that we all officiate because it gives us POWER...we don't have that POWER in any other area of our lives, so we fulfill that need by blah, blah, blah...

When he finished, I raised my hand and asked the camp director (and small college assignor) if that was his thinking also. When he said yes, I told him thanks, gathered up my stuff and left...he called me a couple days later, we talked and I told him what I thought of that philosophy...few days later I got a contract in the mail. Weird...to this day, I can't really believe that is why anyone would officiate.

[Adam]

I'm with IREF4HIM. I didn't realize it so much until this year, though. I started because it was some easy money in college. I say "easy" because I knew the game pretty well; as a player, I was more smart than talented.
After college, I continued because it really was fun. As I started to work up slowly (it was hard to work up the ranks when I took about every other year off), I found that the better the ball I was working, the more fun it was.

Now, I've discovered it's a great stress relief. I've found that when I'm particularly stressed at my regular job; getting out to officiate really releases a lot of pent up energy. It's cathartic.

I'm confident enough in my knowledge and abilities, when I catch the inevitable grief, I can laugh.

I know I've got the best view on the court, and I probably know the rules better than all but, at most, a half-dozen other people in the building. For me, this isn't about power as much as it's about "being right." This is probably the most shallow reason I enjoy it. For those of you who have taken the "colors" personality test, I'm a green, and officiating fits my style.

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by rockyroad

I'm guessing that this is said in jest, but then again maybe not...in the mid-90's I went to a "try-out" type of camp. One of the evaluators stood up in front of the group, pointed to several of us and asked each the question "Why do you officiate?" As each of us (and I was one of the ones chosen) gave our answer, he replied with "Bullsh!t. Sit down."

Eventually he went on a little tirade in which he pointed out that we all officiate because it gives us POWER...we don't have that POWER in any other area of our lives, so we fulfill that need by blah, blah, blah...

When he finished, I raised my hand and asked the camp director (and small college assignor) if that was his thinking also. When he said yes, I told him thanks, gathered up my stuff and left...he called me a couple days later, we talked and I told him what I thought of that philosophy...few days later I got a contract in the mail. Weird...to this day, I can't really believe that is why anyone would officiate.

Great post.

btw...when you opened that envelope did you also find your uncashed check for the camp fee in there?

Now THAT would have been SOMETHING!