Why you officiate...
 

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.

The Reason I Do It!
 

Basketball is truly a place of high drama. It is a place where man vs man, man vs nature and man vs himself plays out with real characters under the full scrutiny of dedicated yet fickle fans. It is a place where no participant can hide, a place where winners and losers are distinctly labeled, a place where mistakes are magnified into misery and success becomes legendary! This place of athletic theatre requires the careful eye of one who will enforce the rules by which each participant must abide. Stepping onto this stage as an enforcer of rules puts you into one of life’s toughest roles: that of judge (a.k.a. official, referee). After all, why do you think they call it a basketball “court”?

An official just happens to hold the only enforceable view of how well the rules are being followed. If the whistle isn’t blown, there is no foul and a “walk” happens only when a referee gives the designated signal! Regardless of how angry or loud anyone else in the arena might be, the official’s opinion is the only one that truly is official. The thought of being in such tight control can be intoxicating but at times it can also be smothering. When your view is THE view, there is enormous pressure to be right…100% of the time! The sport and its participants certainly deserve nothing less than perfection.

Oh, my…expectations of perfection? Why would anyone even dream of taking a job that has no margin of error, no wiggle room, no tolerance of anything but being flawless? Who in their “right” mind would want a job with no forgiveness for being wrong? In this case, the very questions of who and why ultimately contain the answer. For an official, the pursuit of perfection is the game within a game that draws one to participate. Officials are tormented and teased by the mental and emotional challenge that grows from hunting something that has never been seen. The perfect game is as illusive as Nessie and Big Foot and it is the very reason that the search is so addictive.

The constant nagging in the back of a basketball official’s mind says, “There is no such thing as a perfect game.” It awaits confirmation on the first block/charge! When a referee steps out on the court, he/she is only a whistle away from the worst call some fan or coach has ever seen! The mind says, “You can’t always be right”, but the heart says, “If you work hard enough, the perfect game will come.” It is this life battle between heart and mind that officials live for.

Officiating is much like driving a bus filled with backseat drivers. Every move is second guessed, every decision questioned, and every explanation jeered…by someone. Yet, it is the insatiable desire to prove to everyone that you were right and have a much better chance of being right on the next call than they do, that keeps an official coming back game after game. The passion that officials have for the game comes from the desire to be perfect in an environment that would not recognize perfection even if it existed.




Many officials have careers outside of officiating that are colored by shades of gray. The decisions we make are designated okay, good, better, or best, illustrating that success sometimes comes in degrees. Officiating, however, has no middle ground; you are loved or hated, admired or despised, asked back or eternally uninvited. Everything is seen as good or bad, right or wrong, do or die. There is nothing quite like being a basketball “judge”. When you make the right decision, there is little fanfare because, after all, that is what you are getting paid for. When your judgment fails you, the perfect game once again slips away into hiding and those in the gallery voice that reality with gusto. Right or wrong, a judge must always make a decision and to be considered successful, a basketball official must possess the wisdom and strength to declare guilty or not guilty under the microscope of everyone present: fans, players, coaches, and partners. Ultimately, it is for them that we call the game and unveil the verdict!

Uh . . . . what he said . . . :D

No, really, because of the pay . . . :D

OK, NO, really . . . I love the game, I love the action, I love to be active, I love the interaction, I love the challenge. No two games are alike, and I get bored easily, so the fact that every time I step on the floor I am going to see something different is a definite bonus. And, what he said . . . above.:D

Holy cow...that's pretty deep.

I ref because it's fun. When I stop having fun, I'll stop reffing. It's really that simple.

A quick answer
 

It is both physically and mentally challenging.

I love the game.

It keeps my out of the house.

I love the challenge.

I want to be successful at something I love.

Is there really much else? Who cares what people have to say about what I do?

Peace

Easy. The money. Sure it's an hour and a half each way through the snow for a D3 game that's not going to look much like basketball. And sure, the coaches are insane and the players think they know the rules better than us. And getting home at 1 am tonight is sure to make the wife happy. But hey, that $175 makes it all worth while.

Ok, really I do it because I love doing it. I think I can "move up" and want to pursue it. That's really it.

Yep, that's exactly what I was thinking as the clock wound down and the benches emptied in my 78-37 contest the other night...luckily the janitor came in to take a nap so we had a fan in the seats to enjoy the pageant as well.

I get paid to exercise! :D

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.

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.

This is what I was thinking when I was working my freshman B game last night (the second of two) and we are playing a running clock game and the players can hardly walk let alone dribble. Then we had to be out of the gym by a certain time (reason for the running clock) for some school event I believe having to deal with college choices. At least hardly a coach said a word during the second game. Funny thing, I will have the same two teams during the varsity game in about 3 weeks. Fun times had by all. :D

Peace

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"!

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

Isn't it obvious? For the chicks! They can't get enough of a man in black polyester pants and under armor underneath! :D 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.

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.

Basketball
 

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.

I love officiating basketball for so many reasons. I still get to be associated with the game I have loved all my life. I get a good cardio workout several nights a week and I don't even notice that I'm getting a good cardio workout because I'm so involved in what I am doing. Most of my best friends are refs now so I love the social part of it too.

The sound of squeaking tennis shoes. The smell of popcorn. The roar of a crowd. The band. A great rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.....and on and on.

I can honestly say that the money has nothing to do with it. Even the JC games I do don't pay enough when you figure out how much time and effort you put into it.

I just love it. Love it, love it, love it. When I am no longer passionate about it, I will stop. I just can't imagine that happening though.

Passion for the game, simple as that. I was never any good at it in my youth, so being the best official I can be mentally and physically is a very VERY small way I can contribute something back to the game.

And, as many others have touched upon, getting paid to exercise 3-5 nights a week doesn't hurt my feelings at all! :D

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.... http://forum.officiating.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

LOL. Thanks cmckenna, that was a great one. :D

Can someone give me the Cliff notes to this? :D

I enjoy the game. I played when I was in High school, I loved the sport a lot. I wasn't that good. the love of the game moved onto coaching. The cr@p goes with the territory. I coached and it also has it negatives. Those parent who gave birth to 1 million Jordans are not easy to cope with at all. All of them are the next big NBA star.

Rambo is a referee.:D

There are so many reasons mentioned already that I am not going to re-hash those. The one thing I love about officiating - For 1 1/2 or more --> the cares of the world and what's going on in my life are forgotten. I am in the zone and I have escaped into that zone. Everything else is gone. Sounds crazy but it is my stress relief.

Sounds good to me, but it's not what I expected. From your screen name, I figured you'd say that "I ref for Him!"

I played - and got too old. :(

I coached - and then my kids got too old. :(

Now, I ref and love it. :D 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!

Where else can you experience anything like it? I would never equate officiating to war, but having never been nor ever planning on going, it might be the closest I will ever do. It is you and your two partners and then there is everyone else. Take it seriously and do a good job and you are doing everyone in the gym a service that you can be proud of....whether they realize it or not!=)

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.

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!:D


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.

Liars
 

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.

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.

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. :)

That 3K I gross a year...before gas and mileage...and uniforms and supplies...and State licensing fees....and 2 different association fees.....and camp fees. Yeah, I do it for the money.:p

What's the cliche we were always told when going through referee school? There are always three teams on the floor....The Home, THe visitors, the officials. Well, I found out quickly it was true. SO this avocation feeds my competitive juices. I compete with myself to have a winning performance every time I step on the floor. I have, finally in my forties, found that team "esprit de corps" that I missed from my younger playing days.

For me, officiating was my way of staying close to the game that I love. I knew that my basketball career was going to end at the close of my senior season in HS, so I started refereeing on Saturdays when I was still in HS. I have never put down the whistle and am now going on 17 years of calling the best sport in the world. Sure the extra money is nice, but for me, it is the one way that I can still be a major part of the game that I love.

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! ;)

HA! No freaking chance...

At least some things remain predictable

:)

I agree to a point. A couple of years ago when my then 6-yr old was in and out and in and out of the hospital about 7 times in 6 weeks or seomthing, the reffing was a good distraction some days, but some days it was too much. Still, when I could be in that laughing it off mood, it was a great help. A little pleasure and a nice little endorphin rush to get me through the next few hours of crisis. And when he was actually in the hospital, I didn't need to find a babysitter!

___________________________________

Doesn't sound crazy to me. Makes perfect sense!

Of course, I was speaking tongue in cheek. To an extent.:D

Why Officiate??
 

It's the next best thing to playing the game:rolleyes: .

I love basketball. I loved playing it. I loved teaching kids basketball skills in a program I ran in my small town. I loved teaching kids plays in the junior hoop program. But as I reached the highest level of coaching that I desired, and after viewing a lot of junior high & AAU contests, I thought that I could do that [again]. So, after 26 years removed from my previous certification, I took the class 4 years ago and passed the test. I have enjoyed the challenge of improving and hopefully to move up. I like the exercise. AND I get into a lot of games for free because I stay for the nightcaps. :D

1. It's fun. Some people like to play certain sports. (I do.) I like to officiate certain sports. It's just fun. I didn't even play high school basketball. Just tons of fun. It's all intrinsic. Hard to describe.

2. I have a drive to be excellent at it, the likes of which I've only experienced with two other things in my life. That being said, if it ceased being fun, the dedication to learning and improving would immediately disappear as well, I believe (along with time spent on this forum ;) ).

As for putting up with the not-so-fun stuff that rears its ugly head from time to time, and is hard to shake at times - - I think having some kind of support system is key, at least for me. My coworker, who is an official, similar to me, and my wife - mainly my wife. I come home and tell stories from the game(s) I just worked, then the next night she comes home and tells me stories from the game(s) she just played in at city league or university intramurals (where she works). (That is, of course, if we weren't already at each other's said games - then it's funny to hear her bring things up about situations before I even have a chance to.) It's extremely mutually beneficial.

I love sports. It is the highest paying part-time job I've ever had; (you should try waiting tables or telemarketing as a part-time job to make you appreciate officiating). I like the kids and enjoy watching them play and improve. It's good exercise. I make a lot of friends (and enemies!).

Mr. Referee
 

Hello Mr. Referee and how do you do
I just started football, so this is all pretty new
There's much I'm not really sure about
And it means a lot when you help me out

I haven't been playing for very long
So let me know if I do something wrong
Tell me and show me the proper way
And guide me as I learn to play

This game can be so very rough
And I'll do my best to play it tough
But please understand my youthful fears
And please be there to comfort my tears

Teach me respect and show me some too
For helping me grow is the challenge for you
My game's not as big as others you'll do
But it's important to me and it should be to you

All I ask is that the game be played fair
With special concern for safety and care
Officiate wisely and call what you see
But if there's no advantage, then just let it be

May the better side win and I'll go home with pride
If I've done my best and I know that I've tried
And remember sir, when it's all said and done
The game is ours and we're here to have fun.


Written by my friend George, from Hamilton ON