I Was Terrible...
 

Last night I worked the championship game for a local AAU tournament. The game I had was for 5th graders, and it was my first game in about 4 weeks after being on the road for work. I sucked. No two ways about, I just wasn't that good. My mind was else ware, and I just don't feel that I did a very good job.

My partner didn't think it was bad, nor did any of the league officials and evaluators that were there, but I was quite disappointed in my performance last night.

Have other people felt the same way after games? I know that sometimes we all have had bad games, but I honestly felt like I didn't earn my paycheck last night.

Some times I over think a game. I feel like i am calling to much or missing something. Then when I ask my partner or other officials watching they say it looks good, kids are just fouling, your getting what needs to be got. Not to say that sometimes we don't suck it up. We can not however, let it stick with us. Take your partners word for it and move on. I just hope thoes kind of games are few and far between.:D Keep on keepin on.

Come off the ledge a little, it was an AAU game with 6th graders. These are the games you want to make the mistakes. And if everyone thinks you did fine, that should tell you something. Now there is nothing wrong with having a critical eye about your own game, but to say that you did not earn your check might be a little much.

Peace

I thought I had a terrible game once. I worked hard and made all the right calls, but despite that, I let the game go into OT! That's as terrible as I can possibly get.

Of course, this was years and years ago. I haven't had a game in which I was that bad since.

Hey, I was in Park City last week, I could of stayed over and done the games for you.

C'mon 5th graders? A tough age to call, you're too hard on yourself. I'm sure you did fine. What you weren't used to I'm sure after four weeks off were whining parents and over the top AAU nut job coaches.

The fact that you had the championship game tells me your a good official.

Go have a Wasatch brew on me..........

I know I was probably being too hard on myself, but I just felt awful. First time on the floor in nearly a month probably didn't help, nor the fact that my evaluator was there.

Oh well, maybe I will take you up on that Wasatch Brew and it will help me forget about the game ;)

What brought you to Park City?

Skiing of course, my sister and her fam are there, we had a great time. Saw my nephew's lacrosse game at local H.S. freezing, blowing sleet/snow whole game. You couldn't pay me enough to ref those.

Concur.

When I miss a call, use a poor/wrong mechanic, or think I'm out of position I am disappointed and know I made an error. But, most times no one sees or knows of the mistake but me. When I mention it to my partner(s) many times they didn't catch it or think "it's not as bad as all that." Being critical and wanting to do better is OK. Try to remember, learn, and do better next time. Let it go, and move on.

It's good to strive for perfection. Apparently, you're the only one disappointed in your performance - and that ain't bad! :p

I suggest that instead of just flagellating yourself, you use this as a "learning opportunity". Think your way back through the games and write down (or at least note in your mind) two or three things that you had questions about, or you feel you didn't handle correctly. Then contact your assignor and ask the questions, and discuss the sitches to see what you should have done, or how to avoid the problems. This way, you can feel that the game was worth the time since you got something out of the game other than a paycheck.

I don't even want to think of what pic could go here. :eek:

That is what I have been coming up with today. I have been making some mental notes in my mind about what I can talk to my evaluator about from the game last night and hopefully learn from my game last night.

Thanks to everyone.

I agree. I cant even think about pronouncing the word much less begin to know the defenition. It sounds pretty riskay to me.

I had a game with a partner whom I am very comfortable (we've known each other since we were little kids, played on the same teams growing up, etc) and we both walked off the floor shaking our heads at the game we called. As we were leaving, the two coaches and the AD were waiting outside our room to thank us for the job we did. Amazing...

On the other hand I had a game where I felt it went pretty well (was yelled at equally from both sides :) ) but I had one PC foul where, upon further review, the defender may have flopped. Well, after the game, my partner chose that one call to sum up my entire evening. Someone who had never seen me work, had no idea who I was, nor my level of experience (which was more than his) decided that one call where I messed up was an indictment on me as an official.

Be your own worst critic, and when it makes you look good, take other people's praise and wear it like a hat until your next game.

I agree with Rut: my guess is that you can do that game very well in your sleep. But that doesn't mean that you feel good about your performance, and yes, I know exactly how you feel. I had a football game late in the season last year that, for whatever reason -- nerves, new location, something -- I just couldn't get myself into the game for the first quarter or so. I left my down indicator in the locker room and realized it during the first play, which probably psyched me out.

The key thing is to clear your mind as best as you can. Your game was probably fine, but you didn't think it was simply because you had things running through your mind. You were distracted for a large period of time, and that's what you remember. When you walk into a school or gym, simply put everything other than basketball and officiating out of your mind. You aren't going anywhere or doing anything else until you are done, so forget about it.

I've come to find that almost everyone has one of these once in a blue moon, even some of the long time vets doing higher level ball. I had a game one night (subvarsity at that) where I felt I did the crappiest job, and my partner that night was a guy who'd worked some state tournament and small college ball, and when I confessed to him after that it was the worse game I had done all year, he looked at me and said "You need a psych eval...that was a great job!" He proceeded to tell me not to let it get me down, to "debrief" afterwards with partners to see if it's just me or if it was obvious to them as well. He said not to sweat it because everyone will have a game like that, even he did at the state tournament once, but the state association folks thought it was one of the better called games in the whole tournament. So, don't sweat it folks, we're in it together.