Are you fans too??.... or just refs

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Dan is the epitome of empathy....... nay,a veritable Emperor of Empathy.

You could call him the empathy President.

Hey, that's just me...I'm a people person...

[Bearfanmike20]

wow this thread has taken an.. um .. interesting turn.

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Geezer's tweezers
can pick up freezers.

It's true, it's true........

lol

you win

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by eyezen

I never said anything about d-1 scholarships. I never said it was win at all costs. I never said to call it like a varsity district final. I said that made free throws for 8 and 9 year olds are routine events that don't have cause for glorious celebration.

Ok, I'll admit the overstatement on D-1 scholarships, if you admit the overstatement on "glorious celebration".

I think there has been a move away from the fact that these are "games". And it has filtered down to even the lowest levels. Some people are just trying to put a little perspective back into the game. Celebrate something routine? Nah. Acknowledge a good play? Sure, why not?

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by Bearfanmike20

wow this thread has taken an.. um .. interesting turn.

You ain't seen nothin' yet. Stick around awhile...

[Mark Dexter]

Originally Posted by Dan_ref

cough cough

I think you have to turn your head to the side first.

[Mark Dexter]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

I'm just curious as to how they keep them attached.

Staples?

It goes between a pair of compression shorts and a jock strap.

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by Mark Dexter

It goes between a pair of compression shorts and a jock strap.

It's against the rules to wear compression shorts in nude volleyball.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

It's against the rules to wear compression shorts in nude volleyball.

I've heard there's a move to make it required attire for the senior circuit.

Apparently Chuck is making a strong push to get the rule changed.

[Coltdoggs]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

When I'm training refs in our kids rec league, I tell them that if a 3rd or 4th grader actually makes a free throw, go over and shake his/her hand. It really "humanizes" the game. The parents and the kids both love it.

I'm a big fan of seeing the younger kids do something great. I had a 7th grader dunk in a game once (he was about 6'3"). The place went nuts. I actually called an official's timeout so everyone could congratulate him. You can do this kind of thing in a rec league.

Mark...that's cool! I too am a fan of the game and would not ref if I were not...I try to leave a positive impression on the kids I work with...when I can "mentor" some of my rec kids...I cherrish the opportunity.....

I have a really touching story from my working.....I sit on the board of a local rec league....been officiating in the league for 5 years and on the board for the past 2....

Last year one of my board member counterparts who was a coach in our
5th/6th grade rec leagues had a kid on his team named Conan that was developmentally challenged.....He may have even been autistic or had Torret's syndrome....a really nice kid but you could tell he didn't process information as fast as a normal kid. He could run up and down the court and understood enough to play his zone on D but on the offensive end it was like playing 4 on 5....he NEVER got the ball.

During the season ending tourney, coach/board member told me about 1/2 way through the 4thQ that he wanted this Conan kid to score just one bucket....Understand that one bucket would make the kid's entire season worth all the effort he put in....

They(Team A) were getting beat by some 15 points so I approached the other coach (Team B) during a timeout and let him know the situation....He said that he would accomodate this on the defensive end of the floor...

Team B was inbounding under Team A's basket....We set this kid up on the low post ( I was inbounding and had to instruct him where to stand and to watch the ball etc) and the inbounder used up about 4 seconds before he made a bounce pass to Conan on D. Up goes the shot.....MISSES!

This went on for the next 2 1/2 minutes....each trip the kids on Team B making blatant and obvious turnovers after defensive rebounds in an effort to get Team A the opportunity to pass the ball to Conan....

Coach of team B had finally told his kids NOT TO REBOUND....but when Team A got the rebound, they would put it back up and score....so they ate away at the 15 point lead! ....Finally with about a 7 point lead and about :25 left in the game.....Team A knows they are going to get beat and they worked the ball around to Conan at the top of the key for a 3 pointer.....he put up a shot that bounced off the front of the rim right back to him about the FT line........I yelled from lead position....SHOOOT IT CONAN!... ....Up goes the shot and SWISH!

The ENTIRE gym went NUTS....All the players on both teams started jumping up and down cheering, parents from both teams were standing cheering....Board Members on the sideline were standing cheering, the other teams waiting to play the next game were up clapping....It was truly a momement I will ALWAYS remember from my reffing....

I went to the winning team afterwards and interrupted the coaches post game speech and told those 10 young men how proud of them I was for making that kids season and that their display was one of true sportsmanship and that is what youth sports should be about.......The look in these kids' eyes told me that they all realized that this one basket was more important than their own points and that they really made a difference in another player's life on this day.....They went on to win their next two games and won the rec league Championship....A fitting end IMHO......

Am I fan...hell yes!

[mick]

Originally Posted by Coltdoggs

Am I fan...hell yes!

Oh, yeah!
Good story.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by Coltdoggs

Mark...that's cool! I too am a fan of the game and would not ref if I were not...I try to leave a positive impression on the kids I work with...when I can "mentor" some of my rec kids...I cherrish the opportunity.....

I have a really touching story from my working.....I sit on the board of a local rec league....been officiating in the league for 5 years and on the board for the past 2....

Last year one of my board member counterparts who was a coach in our
5th/6th grade rec leagues had a kid on his team named Conan that was developmentally challenged.....He may have even been autistic or had Torret's syndrome....a really nice kid but you could tell he didn't process information as fast as a normal kid. He could run up and down the court and understood enough to play his zone on D but on the offensive end it was like playing 4 on 5....he NEVER got the ball.

During the season ending tourney, coach/board member told me about 1/2 way through the 4thQ that he wanted this Conan kid to score just one bucket....Understand that one bucket would make the kid's entire season worth all the effort he put in....

They(Team A) were getting beat by some 15 points so I approached the other coach (Team B) during a timeout and let him know the situation....He said that he would accomodate this on the defensive end of the floor...

Team B was inbounding under Team A's basket....We set this kid up on the low post ( I was inbounding and had to instruct him where to stand and to watch the ball etc) and the inbounder used up about 4 seconds before he made a bounce pass to Conan on D. Up goes the shot.....MISSES!

This went on for the next 2 1/2 minutes....each trip the kids on Team B making blatant and obvious turnovers after defensive rebounds in an effort to get Team A the opportunity to pass the ball to Conan....

Coach of team B had finally told his kids NOT TO REBOUND....but when Team A got the rebound, they would put it back up and score....so they ate away at the 15 point lead! ....Finally with about a 7 point lead and about :25 left in the game.....Team A knows they are going to get beat and they worked the ball around to Conan at the top of the key for a 3 pointer.....he put up a shot that bounced off the front of the rim right back to him about the FT line........I yelled from lead position....SHOOOT IT CONAN!... ....Up goes the shot and SWISH!

The ENTIRE gym went NUTS....All the players on both teams started jumping up and down cheering, parents from both teams were standing cheering....Board Members on the sideline were standing cheering, the other teams waiting to play the next game were up clapping....It was truly a momement I will ALWAYS remember from my reffing....

I went to the winning team afterwards and interrupted the coaches post game speech and told those 10 young men how proud of them I was for making that kids season and that their display was one of true sportsmanship and that is what youth sports should be about.......The look in these kids' eyes told me that they all realized that this one basket was more important than their own points and that they really made a difference in another player's life on this day.....They went on to win their next two games and won the rec league Championship....A fitting end IMHO......

Am I fan...hell yes!

This is just a fantastic story. It's what kids sports should be about. Thanks for sharing.

[Bearfanmike20]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

This is just a fantastic story. It's what kids sports should be about. Thanks for sharing.

I agree!! Wow.. great story.

Originally Posted by Bearfanmike20

I ask this because I have this fear... LOL

I am a new ref, and will be doing my first game very soon. I've always been a big fan of the sport, and when I would watch a game.. even a jv or elementary game I would say "wow" for a good play...

I'm sooo afraid that I'm gonna do the same thing while reffing.

So my question is.. have any of you ever done that.. while reffing a game?

A big smile in his direction is all you need to do....and should do. After the game when they come up to the refs and say good game, you can make a comment then. Just remember the #1 rule of officiating: "Nothing I never said ever got quoted."