Do you remember the first game you officiated?

[IowaMike]

First game was a 6th grade boys Saturday league doubleheader. I still see the guy I worked with quite a bit, he also does baseball and has done many of my three older sons high school varsity baseball games. I was nervous and clearly remember only being able to see what was going on in about a three square foot area. Being clueless about equipment, I had purchased a whistle with a pea in it. At the end of the two games, my partner told me that I had done a good job, but I needed to throw my whistle away and buy a Fox 40. Went out and purchased a new whistle the next day.

I worked my first varsity game three years later, a boys game which was a complete bloodbath; I think we called about 45 fouls total. It was at that game that I realized that fans and coaches don't respect varsity officials anymore than they respect junior high officials. We all suck in their minds.