How Was Your Very First Day As A Ref? Nervous? Excited? Both?

[DrFeelGood]

Just curious, how was your first day refereeing? What about the first time you moved up and refereed?

Did you make any calls that were, uhh, probably not the best and made you feel like a noob?

Also, throughout your times as a referee, does anything funny come to mind in your experiences?

[archangel]

My 1st game, 7th grade girls, 2nd qtr, as trail tableside by visitors bench; coach asks for a TO, so I whistle and signal with my hands in a "T"--coach yells "What did I do?", so I told her "you wanted a TO" while thinking whats this coaches problem?..........

[Mark Padgett]

You can read about the first game I ever worked here:

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-b...s/basketball_1

[grunewar]

Freshman boys scrimmage. The senior, experienced refs decide they want to work 3-man. I was like a fish out of water and wasn't in the right position all night. I had no idea what my primary was, I followed the ball, hand and arm signals were awful, reported to the table, "I got....", etc. I was horrible. Only place I could go from there was up!

My first rec game I too kept "Ting" up the coach to grant him his time out.....my partner laughed at me!

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

My first game was during the 1971-72 season and that was A.D., not B.C. I can't remember a thing about the game. LOL

MTD, Sr.

[tjones1]

First game was a 7/8th Jr High game. I was nervous as ship (yes, I know ). I was very lucky in that: had a great partner (my mentor), partner was a good friend of mine, and he was able to calm me down. I know I had about 3 million things running through my head that when I had a whistle I was blowing it twice (for some reason) - no worries, got that problem fixed after I calmed down.

The first game that I "moved up" was a Girls JV/V. I was working with two people that I knew. As you can probably tell, it was also my first 3-man game. Again, nervous as can be...trying to get adjusted to the new mechanics with three officials. First half of the JV game was called good, but just so nervous as where I was suppose to be. Once I got that sorted out in the locker room at halftime, the second half was smooth as can be as well as the varsity game. Again, my partners where able to calm me so that I didn't even think about the type of game and I was able to just go out there and call the game.

Looking back on both nights, I know just how lucky I was...

[BillyMac]

Here's a photo of one of the coaches at my first game:

http://re3.mm-a7.yimg.com/image/3952423967

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

My first game was during the 1971-72 season and that was A.D., not B.C. I can't remember a thing about the game. LOL

MTD, Sr.

Same as you except mine was in the fall of 1987.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Same as you except mine was in the fall of 1987.

Mine: Winter of 1979-80, probably an insurance company men's league game, or a boys recreation game. I got some freshman boys, and junior varsity assignments, later that season.