For the love of the game?

[deecee]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Next season will be the first season that our local board will charge a fee, I believe that it will be $50.00 for two hours, for scrimmages. I'm totally against this. Officials need scrimmages to get ready for the real season, so the school is actually providing a service to us by allowing us to do scrimmages, we're not at our best in scrimmages, and it generates a lot of good will between officials, and the coaches, players, parents, site directors, athletic directors, and school administrators. Surprisingly, this was not initiated by our local board, it was initiated by our state high school sports governing body. It was getting difficult in other geographic areas of the state, especially for other sports, to get officials for scrimmages.

We still provide "free" officials for a high school scholarship tournament, and for the Special Olympics Unified Games. I jump at the chance to do those games.

Billy Mac I highly disagree with your wonderful feels good inside first paragraph. Doing 1 scrimmage DOES not make your READY for the season, especially if you have been doing games in the offseason (wreck ball not included). You should be ready once you suit up, if not this one game is not the cure all. Plus I don't see this "good will" being generated. It sounds good, but in reality its just simply platitudes that carry no weight.

Coach: You know you suck, but since you work a scrimmage at no charge in the beginning of the season I dont think you suck so much. In fact my good will towards you is starting to suffocate me.
Ref: Thanks coach I'm not going to T you up because I have scrimmage goodwill credits that I would like to use right now.
Parents: Man that sucky ref sure is nice for working that 1 game for free. It's really changed my opinion about all those old creepy men in striped shirts and their inability to see and call fouls for our team.
AD: Man that $50 you saved my sure helped us come in uder budget. You guys are really godsends.
Site directors: Man thanks for that freebie, I almost had break out my whistle and jump in, but hey im paid whether i sit and sleep or break a sweat.
school AD: WHo cares if they work a game for free -- they screw us everytime we lose.

Billy, don't take this personally, because from your posts I think you are a nice and positive person.