Frustrated with game administration

[Moshiner1345]

This is my personal opinion. I would never schedule back there again. If the game administrator doesn't support the officials and in this case it seems he did try to escalate the situation. I wouldn't simply come back. Maybe talk to the AD about what happened. If he apologizes, then consider working their again. Until then, they lost your services.

[ILRef80]

Originally Posted by Moshiner1345

This is my personal opinion. I would never schedule back there again. If the game administrator doesn't support the officials and in this case it seems he did try to escalate the situation. I wouldn't simply come back. Maybe talk to the AD about what happened. If he apologizes, then consider working their again. Until then, they lost your services.

I do have a JV/V doubleheader there next month. I want to call the AD, but I also am unsure if that will escalate the situation.

As an aside, I had no problems at all with the coach of this team. He didn't say a word all night, and even came to our locker room after the game to tell us that we worked a good game.

[BayStateRef]

You need to deal with the principal directly and firmly. Do not allow him to discuss any action on the court. If he even tries to...stop him. Then tell him what you want him to do with the fans. Be clear. Be calm. Your responsbility is on the court; his is everything else.

I had a similar problem this weekend with a "travel" league (7th Grade girls game), where the fans started cursing my partner. There is no formal game management, so I went to the home coach and told him what he had to do. He started to discuss the calls and I immediatey cut him off. I told him we were not going to discuss anything but the fan behavior. He was the "de facto" game manager and he needed to tell the fans to stop or he would be asking them to leave the gym. He did just that and there were no problems the rest of the game.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by BayStateRef

I had a similar problem this weekend with a "travel" league (7th Grade girls game), where the fans started cursing my partner. There is no formal game management, so I went to the home coach and told him what he had to do. He started to discuss the calls and I immediately cut him off. I told him we were not going to discuss anything but the fan behavior. He was the "de facto" game manager and he needed to tell the fans to stop or he would be asking them to leave the gym. He did just that and there were no problems the rest of the game.

That was handled exactly the way these situations should be handled imo.

[rgncjn]

Don't waste your time at those venues. I refused to schedule any junior high games this year - mainly for the facts you presented. You're either stuck with below average official and the fans are worse than at the high school or college level. At least that is what I found. I have put in enough time at the junior high ranks to consider myself retired from those games.

The only junior high games I have worked this year happen to be when the local school is short an official and I have the night open. At least when I do those, everybody and their aunt knows who I am so there is no abuse.

[ILRef80]

Originally Posted by rgncjn

Don't waste your time at those venues. I refused to schedule any junior high games this year - mainly for the facts you presented. You're either stuck with below average official and the fans are worse than at the high school or college level. At least that is what I found. I have put in enough time at the junior high ranks to consider myself retired from those games.

Oh - I am definitely in the process of doing fewer and fewer JH games. Anytime I have a negative situation, it seems to happen at that level. There are certain schools that treat me well and I will continue to work with those schools. But, I'm going to be doing very few of these games next year.

[ronny mulkey]

Originally Posted by ILRef80

Oh - I am definitely in the process of doing fewer and fewer JH games. Anytime I have a negative situation, it seems to happen at that level. There are certain schools that treat me well and I will continue to work with those schools. But, I'm going to be doing very few of these games next year.

Eighty,

I disagree with this philosophy of calling fewer lower level games UNLESS your quantity of higher level games prevent it. The experience gained from dealing with these "negative" situations will make you a much better official in the future. And, after you have gained all that experience, then you need to share this experience with the less experienced others as they come through. It's kinda like the people here giving you good advice on how to handle this situation - at one time they didn't know how, either.

In other words, try to give a little back as you progress through your officiating career.

Mulk

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by ronny mulkey

I disagree with this philosophy of calling fewer lower level games UNLESS your quantity of higher level games prevent it. The experience gained from dealing with these "negative" situations will make you a much better official in the future. And, after you have gained all that experience, then you need to share this experience with the less experienced others as they come through. It's kinda like the people here giving you good advice on how to handle this situation - at one time they didn't know how, either.

Good points. Learning how to deal with those types of situations will help any official's development.

Jmo, but I think that the major thing that any official needs to learn is to not take personally any of the crap that comes your way. It comes with the job. Once you put on a striped shirt and stick a whistle in your mouth, you're a target, no matter how good you are. Except for your partners, the people that you deal with aren't neutral and unbiased, and you can't really expect them to act that way.

[Coltdoggs]

The I/R Theory from the business world is a great applicator for a sports
official.

I am not what i R...

I=Your Identity (the real you, the person)
R= Your Role (hoops official, sales rep, banker, whatever you do)

No matter how bad you are at your R on a given occassion, it does not define your I. You can have a bad day as a (ref, rep, banker)...you can make mistakes but it does not change the person you really are (I).

In other words, I might be terrible as an official (at least on that call, Coach ) but I'm still the same, good ol' Coltdoggs who is a father, friend and all around pretty good guy....

I've began sharing this with my own kids who like to beat themselves up over a bombed test and the girls I'm coaching who get upset about missed shots in the game.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by ILRef80

I do have a JV/V doubleheader there next month. I want to call the AD, but I also am unsure if that will escalate the situation.

As an aside, I had no problems at all with the coach of this team. He didn't say a word all night, and even came to our locker room after the game to tell us that we worked a good game.

And if the same caoch had told you that you worked a terrible game, would you have believed him?

If you're going to thump your chest when a coach does you uou did a good job, then you have to listen to him when he says you sucked.

IOW, take it all with a grain of salt. Don't put much stock into anything a coach tells you.

[ILRef80]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

And if the same caoch had told you that you worked a terrible game, would you have believed him?

If you're going to thump your chest when a coach does you uou did a good job, then you have to listen to him when he says you sucked.

IOW, take it all with a grain of salt. Don't put much stock into anything a coach tells you.

Point taken.

[Adam]

Something to consider:
Talk to the AD, and be fully ready to not work the games you have there in the future if he/she doesn't acquiesce.

At the very least (you do have a commitment, after all), you could inform the AD you will work the already agreed-upon games but not any games in the future. This is assuming your discussion with the AD doesn't go well if and when you have it.