Do you remember the first game you officiated?

[Juulie Downs]

Do I remember??

You never forget your first...

Other than the fact that I was completely and totally awful, the funny thing was my 18 month old son. He was sitting right at the division line with my husband. He'd see me run toward him, and light up with glee, and then as I'd run past he'd start to cry. And then we'd go back the other way and do it all again! Poor kid, he'll probably need counselling for life!

[bigdogrunnin]

December 1999. I was coaching girls athletics (Basketball and Track) at the High School in a small central Texas town. Another coach (JV Boys BB) came in and said, "hey the officials did not show up for the JH boys game at the JH and they need us to go officiate the 2 games." Off we went in our coaching shorts and t-shirts with our "thunderer" whistles. I was beyond horrible . . . in fact, horrible was in the stands and kept yelling, "YOU SUCK!"

I called that one time that year, didn't call again until the next season, but I was hooked. That was 10 years and about 2200 games ago.

Can't imagine not doing it now. It becomes a part of you . . .

[zm1283]

June 2007 was the first time I was on the court. It was a clinic/camp for our association, and it was 3-whistle. I was so clueless it's hilarious now. Had a metal whistle with the pea in it with a white lanyard that I tied to the loop on my shirt to make it look like a Smitty lanyard. I don't remember what I called or didn't call, but I'm sure I looked terrible.

First real game was a JH girls game in Septemer of that year. I wasn't much better than in June. I thought I really improved throughout the season though and was leaps and bounds above where I was at the start of the year. Now after my second year it feels like June of 2007 was forever ago.

[JRutledge]

I worked a 5th and 6th grade girls game in September of 1996. I was so bad it was not funny. I could not get my hand up. I just blew my whistle for no real reason. I did not know how to report fouls. It was just awful. But it was a lot of fun and that is why I am here today.

Peace

[Oz Referee]

I sure do. August 1986, just after my 12th birthday. Did a 2 hour referees course with my Dad. He and I did our first game together that week, an Under 19s boys game. One player gave me a bit of a hard time, mainly based on my age (and I was skinny and wore glasses). He picked up two Ts, both from me, got ejected and then copped crap from his team mates and the opposition about being booted by a kid I immediately got a rep as a bit of a hardarse that wouldn't take any rubbish

I know that my old man really loved refereeing with me, at the time I didn't see what the big deal was - but it sure is something I miss now!

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

I received zero training. Bottom line: I sucked, and big time.

Originally Posted by Juulie Downs

Do I remember??

You never forget your first...

Other than the fact that I was completely and totally awful.

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I was so bad it was not funny.

Jan, 2004. 9/10 yr old boys Rec League. After calling the second time out of the half, my partner asked me, "Why do you keep T'ing up the coach?" Me =

He then explained the proper hand and arm signals to me....duh!

I remember my second game too as it was on that same morning, same league, and the coach came in reeking of booze. I could barely stand near him it was so pungent. I reported him to the league! Jerk!!

PS - I reffed that former coaches son this yr and the former coach always comes up to me and shakes my hand. I don't know if he remembers me or knows I reported him, but I remember him. Once this yr, middle of the afternoon, after making a scene in the gym and storming out of the game preceding mine, he came up to talk to me......and smelled like booze. Sad for his kid(s) and the community. Jerk! (oh, I already said that).

[mbyron]

Oh I remember. It was a rec game, forget the level, on Sunday afternoon, and my partner didn't want to be there. Both teams were there early and my partner wanted to get going right now. One of the coaches insisted on a warm up, so my partner left!

So there I was, panicked about the prospect of working my first game by myself. Fortunately, the venue had another gym, and one of the refs scheduled to work down there came over and worked with me.

[GoodwillRef]

First game...2nd & 3rd grade girls City Rec League game. (1989)

First HS game (1990)...JV Girls (BCC @ Racine Lutheran) game...the other official who had been working forever (and is still working) told me that my main job was to make sure the varstiy game started on time...Var start at 730pm. He goes out and calls 63 fouls by himself...I called 17 (80 Total Fouls) the announcer was keeping track. The game goes overtime and Var game started at 845pm, the varsity officials were not happy. I remember one of the varsity officials had a belt buckle about the size of a coffee cup saucer...funny stuff.

[ranjo]

First game ever was a parks & rec game with 8-9 year olds that my wife talked me into doing with her. I remember that I wore black sweat pants, a collared striped shirt, and big metal framed glasses. My wife laughs at me to this day, saying that she doesn't remember me blowing the whistle at all. I just remember being very nervous - trying not to make a mistake and prove to everyone I didn't have a clue (which I didn't).

I continued to do games at that level for the rest of the season, giving my first technical foul to a coach who's son got a foul call for using his arm to push off his defender while he was dribbling the ball. He told his son I didn't know what I was talking about, and to just keep doing it.

My first high school game was a jv girls game at a school very close to my house. I was just as nervous as the first game mentioned above, but had a little more rules knowledge. I don't remember much about the game except the play seemed extremely fast and I struggled to keep up with it.

My first partner at that game was great! He always smiled and very gently guided me in the right direction. I'm sure he covered quit a few of my mistakes. I will always be appreciative for that and vowed to remember to treat new officials the same way he did me.

[181174]

Of course I remember my first game. 1998, girls jv game. I worked with my Dad, I had no clue what to do. I am just glad my Dad pulled us through. I learned a lot that first year. Really took a while to get the signals and mechanics down. It's hard telling what I called, or didn't call. I just remember knowing after the game that it was a huge difference from watching a game in the crowd and actually being out there calling the game. From that 1st year I have grown to really enjoy officiating and that is why I still love to work games.

[WreckRef]

I was a sophomore in high school, me and one of my friends signed up to do 3rd grade YMCA games. We had no clue what we were doing, all we knew is we had watched & played tons of basketball so we figured it couldn't be that hard to ref (I had been umpiring baseball for 3 years by this time.)

It was pretty much a disaster, I don't know how many double whistles we had. I would call a foul and he would think it was a clean black or vice versa. We had no clue who was supposed to be looking where. I think we both just watched the ball the entire game.

Later in the year we actually had to break up a fight...in the stands. One dad started choking another dad yelling, "your kid is killing my kid!!!" Needless to say they were both removed from the gym.

I didn't referee basketball again until 1997 or 1998 and have done so ever since.

[Texas Aggie]

I remember both my first scrimmage and my first actual game. My first scrimmage was a BV involving 2 pretty good teams. 2 other guys started the scrimmage and then the supervising official sent me and another guy in after a few minutes. We had gone up and down the court a few times and I was petrified but hadn't made any calls. Then, I was lead and this Dallas South Oak Cliff player drives the lane and runs right over his opponent. I blew my whistle, hand in the air, then pointed at the offensive player (now on the ground) and put my hand behind my head for a PC. Not the smoothest mechanics ever but it was technically correct. Anyway, I'm reporting the foul and the coach of SOC steps out and says, "Young man, you can't be making calls like that!" I said, "coach, he ran right over him" and then went on. After I "subbed" out, the supervising official asked me about that call. Now worried that I had made a mistake, I stood my ground: "I thought it was the right call." He said, "so did I! But don't wait too long expecting the SOC coach to agree with you."

My first game went over pretty much without incident. My partner kept telling me to blow my whistle louder so the next day, I went and bought a Fox 40.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Texas Aggie

I remember both my first scrimmage and my first actual game. My first scrimmage was a BV involving 2 pretty good teams. 2 other guys started the scrimmage and then the supervising official sent me and another guy in after a few minutes. We had gone up and down the court a few times and I was petrified but hadn't made any calls. Then, I was lead and this Dallas South Oak Cliff player drives the lane and runs right over his opponent. I blew my whistle, hand in the air, then pointed at the offensive player (now on the ground) and put my hand behind my head for a PC. Not the smoothest mechanics ever but it was technically correct. Anyway, I'm reporting the foul and the coach of SOC steps out and says, "Young man, you can't be making calls like that!" I said, "coach, he ran right over him" and then went on. After I "subbed" out, the supervising official asked me about that call. Now worried that I had made a mistake, I stood my ground: "I thought it was the right call." He said, "so did I! But don't wait too long expecting the SOC coach to agree with you."

South O-Cliff? That is/was a pretty rough part of Dallas. Isn't that where Dennis Rodman grew up?

[fullor30]

Originally Posted by Juulie Downs

Do I remember??

You never forget your first...

Other than the fact that I was completely and totally awful, the funny thing was my 18 month old son. He was sitting right at the division line with my husband. He'd see me run toward him, and light up with glee, and then as I'd run past he'd start to cry. And then we'd go back the other way and do it all again! Poor kid, he'll probably need counselling for life!

We both had too much to drink that night...............oops wrong thread.

My first patched game was at Bill Murray's old grammar school. 6th grade boys, I was terrible, yet knew how to fake it from watching so many games.

Actually, my first game, many many years earlier was at my grammar school when I was a sophomore in high school. I had no idea what I was doing and got two bucks for the effort. Today, if a school trotted out two unpatched newbies out of uniform, they'd be arrested.

[Scratch85]

Can't remember who or where, but my shirt had a collar, my whistle was metal with a rubber mouth guard and a pea and the only call I made was OOB.