I do not have a traditional job, my job is pretty much 24/7 since I am a housewife. But it's still a juggling act to make time to get to games, whether they are early or late. Although it will be easier next year when my kid will be old enough to be home without a babysitter for a short time.

I don't take games before 5 for football and 6 for basketball, except in rare circumstances. On Fridays, I know I'm going to leave early and during December, my work load is scaled back so I can work tournament games during the day if assigned.

I make up for the lost time between March and August. Next year, I won't work but Thursdays through Saturday in football and only twice a week (like this year) in hoops.

Rather than housewife, how about Domestic Engineer. :D That's what we put on our tax return every year for my wife since she quit working.

The HARDEST job out there. Bar NONE!! Way to go. :)

Thanks for the comments. To the "Referee Mom", good work juggling your responsibilities at home and on the court. You should bring your kid to the games you referee. You can start training them to referee at an early age. :p

In all seriousness, it sounds like some of those who responded are vets who have pretty much all varsity games on their schedule.

For me, I'm sort of in between. I'm probably one of your "Average Joe" refs with games all over the board. I do frosh/soph, JV and Varsity (primarily girls, but some lower level boys) games.

The problem is that game times vary on a wide scale. If you limit your schedule to "5 PM and after", you sometimes will miss quite a few games. Varsity games range from about 4:45 PM to 7:30 PM, but I only get a few of those.

UNLESS, you guys include reffing in adult leagues, which obviously start 6 PM and after usually. :D

Flexible
 

I have a great work environment where I can come in early and leave early (like today) if necessary. My biggest critic is my spouse who feels that more than twice a week is too much. We have three kids, MS and HS who aren't high maintenance so it's just a matter of me "being around". Kind of frustrating since I have few passions and officiating is one of them for three months a year. Just started this week so I'll be battling this domestic issue for the next three months. I'm grateful for my wife, however, I wish she would be just a touch more understanding.

My three oldest kids do come to my games -- to laugh at me!! The youngest one has come and done the scoreboard for me a time or two at a rec league I do. And lately he's taken to reffing games he's playing in, on the playground at school. It doesen't go over real well, though!

That's okay, I had some JV boys last night who wanted to offiate while they played, too. :)

It went over equally well.

I agree it's difficult. My first 5 years, I was a grad student with ultraflexible work hours. Now I work in accounting as 9 to 6pm (5pm on gameday) with a 45 min commute. Thankfully, having just moved up, I'm getting more Var games that have a 7pm start currently. And I kiss the regular season goodbye working from 8am to 10pm 6 days/wk.

I've always wondered how work/bball is done. glad and unfortunate i'm not alone.