Should I stay or should I go

[Philz]

I've been officiating BB for 15 years now. I've been doing NJB, HS, and adult rec ball. Last year really depressed me and is making me wounder if I want to do this anymore. I worked my ussual 100 plus game but I never have had so many bad experiences in one season as I did last year and every year seems to get worst.
I was assaulted once in adult rec game, had a fight break out in a HS boys game were one boy had to be taken to the hospital and have reconstrutive sugery on his face (I'm still waiting to be called to court on that one). I called more techs last year I believe then in my whole officating career. I never saw so much bad sportsmanship. The last straw was toward the end of the year I kinda lost it myself and actually premeditated an ejection on a player(adult rec) that had given me some crap all year and I decided to get rid of him ASAP. I never done that before and felt so bad I gave up on officating the rest of the year. In fact I didnt even ump softball which was the fist time in 10 years.
I'm not a bad official and ussually get selected to do some high profile games and although I could have done some things better I'm feeling this isnt fun anymore. In fact toward the end of the season I did not look forward to my games.
Anybody else get that feeling?

[fiasco]

First of all, quit doing wreck ball. I can bet that will help your situation by at least 50%.

[wanja]

If you are not doing so already, considering including rec ball with very young players in the mix. It can be invigorating. I've officiated 3rd and fourth grade girls for the past few years. Its a combination of officiating and teaching and a reminder of why I love doing this. I stick with "my girls" for the whole season. The kids learn so fast, and are ready to be good sports if the adults let them.

You may also want to be more selective with the games and leagues you work.

[Camron Rust]

At one point, I was doing as many games as I could fit in my schedule. I found I was typically hating basketball about 2/3's the way through the season. Then, one season, I decidd to cut out nealry all non-HS games and I immediately starting having fun again....a lot fewer games, but I look forward to nearly every one...instead of dreading the last 4-5 weeks.

Try reducing the number (mostly from the set you find least enjoyable...not necessarily the least profitable).

[Coltdoggs]

Originally Posted by wanja

If you are not doing so already, considering including rec ball with very young players in the mix. It can be invigorating. I've officiated 3rd and fourth grade girls for the past few years. Its a combination of officiating and teaching and a reminder of why I love doing this. I stick with "my girls" for the whole season. The kids learn so fast, and are ready to be good sports if the adults let them.

You may also want to be more selective with the games and leagues you work.

I agree with wanja.....I work a ton of MS and lower level stuff. We have some travel leagues and I do a bulk of my stuff for them year round....I love the MS 6th-8th grade. Boys and girls.... I get my share of HS games in this league as well and NEVER...I repeat, NEVER EVER do men's wreck....that is the absolute worst unless you just flat out need the money.

I like the teaching aspect of the younger levels, having the kids come up to me and say "Hey Ref" in between games...I've met some really great kids and watched some of them excel and play for the area HSs.

[Smitty]

I once felt burnt out and wasn't having any fun anymore working basketball games. I decided to take some time off. I didn't miss it for 5 years, then I got back into it again with a passion I hadn't felt in all my previous years. My advice would be to take a year off and see how you feel next year at this time. If you miss it with a passion, start up again. If not, take another year off. You're doing no one any favors by staying in it if you aren't having fun.

[Stat-Man]

Speaking from my own experiences from the other side of the table, if you're not having fun, take time to evaulate what you need to do. Maybe it's just dropping the men's rec ball (since that seems to be part of all the grief), maybe you just do high school games, or maybe you go as far as taking some time away to mentally recharge yourself.

Just a few days ago, two of the more verteran officials in the area were talking at halftime about how younger officials don't officiate long-term due to all the crap they put up with.

[JugglingReferee]

Dump the wreck ball.

I just sent an e-mail to one of my assignors a couple of nights ago that I am no longer doing wreck ball.

I'm already happier! LOL

Additionally, I have had years where I scaled back the number of games that I accepted, and I realized that I would miss it if I quit. You could try that, or take 1 year off, as a starting point. I think that the passion will come back.

[Karin]

My advice?Take some time off-basketball should be a fun part of your life.Reffing is at times fun and frustrating but if you find there is more frustration than fun take some time off and come back fresh.
Often I tell officials I train to take a break and yeah it is tough to roster(at times) without them but I find the holistic approach is best-refs come back fresher and with more enthusiasm if they are not burnt out.
Today an official came back to junior ball because I left him alone to be a teenager and focus on other aspects of his life and he came back to help beginner officials and enjoyed offering his knowledge to young ones.He said he felt that he was pushed to do more and more previously and that he 'owed" his trainers-better he took a break and came back on his own terms.

[JRutledge]

If you are going to games and you are not enjoying the experience, it is time to give it up. Do yourself a favor, you do not need this. But if you really think you will miss officiating, cut back on what you do. I would reduce those games in half. Work only 50 games and cut back on the worst part of that schedule. I would leave the "wreak" ball alone and work only high school or junior high if you can stomach this. And if you need to cut back on girl's basketball or boy's basketball, I would do that too. Focus on other things than whether or not you can work the most games and try to enjoy the experience again. Maybe then you will find your love back for the sport. If you have invested 15 years to this thing, I am sure you will love officiating more if you just focus on a smaller part of the hobby.

Peace

[Back In The Saddle]

There's some pretty good advice in there Philz. I have felt the end of season burn out before as well; it's not good. Here's some things I noticed in my own officiating.

1. The season I really felt burned out, I was working too many nights. No matter how much you love officiating, you need balance in your life to feel contented and complete. Scaling back to where I had no more than 4 days per week that I worked, helped.

2. Sometimes you have to step away. I took most of a season off. When I came back, not only did I come back with new fire in my belly, I came back with a new and much more mature perspective about why I was doing this. I think the shift in perspective has helped me more than just the time off did.

3. It has to be fun. When I started scaling back how much I worked, the first thing to go was the least fun level, men's wreck league. The games I that remained on my schedule, though more "serious" were a lot more enjoyable.

4. I started taking up new sports. Which has been an interesting challenge, has helped me see bball in a little different light, and gotten me some new skills that transfer nicely. But then I tried to take on one too many. Lesson learned: Just as I need balance during the week, I also need balance during the year. (Or as BillyMac might phrase it, "to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose".) And I think the same extends to a lifetime. Perhaps you'd find it better to drop one sport, or cut back to keep them both "in season". Or try something new. Taking up lacrosse or soccer or football or volleyball might just ignite a whole new passion and being an experienced official you're already half way to competence in a new sport.

5. Hang around the younger kids. I picked up an interesting volleyball assignment earlier in the week. A charter school junior high tournament. The level of play was not good. But being around the kids, helping them and their coaches figure some stuff out, providing some experienced officiating, and just being around some folks who are starting out and building a program was very refreshing. I called the assigner right after and offered to work the next day as well. (In fact, I had my first college games scheduled for the next day, learned I would be off in time to do the vball, and made the offer being as excited about the jr. high vball as I was about the college bball).

Anywayz, I wish you luck in finding your answer. In the mean time, hang out here with us too and keep us on our toes. Talking, arguing, and bantering about officiating here, for me at least, is a really good part of being an official. And some times I even get to give a little back

[BillyMac]

One of my goals this upcoming season is to have fun. Seriously. It was suggested to me by one of my evaluators, so I'm going with it.

[irp]

I would agree with all the above; at one point I could pick up a game or two a night and not worry; but then it became a pain because there was no balance.

I cut out the 'wreck' ball except as a favour to the guy who runs the league, and only walk on the court 3 days a week now instead of 7. The upside of this has been that I found the fun in my kit bag again, it had gone missing. The downside is, I will come back to you on it.

BillyMac says he is trying to have fun this season, he is right, unless you want to be a zombie about it you have to have fun. One bonus of cutting back is that I am more relaxed, smile a little more, and my assigners give me 'better' games because I am obviously more relaxed.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by irp

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes.

Is that like the fox guarding the henhouse?

[Freddy]

Semper ubi, sub ubi.

Oh, sorry. I guess that belongs with the thread, "Proper Officiating Uniform."