If you are working on things, why wouldn't you want to work on it with more competitive basketball: adults?

Now that I have that question out of the way, when did you move to Texas? This is the same Smitty that worked for a certain company that we both love right?

Again, I don't understand the disdain for men's rec ball. (shrug) the more experienced I got, the easier they have been to do.

I have to take something back. I guess I would do a rec game for $20 since I worked two seasons of double-headers in Mississippi for $60! Since two high school games take around 3 hours, that is the same as working 3 rec games for $20 each. I'm not going to know what to do with myself when I only have to do one game this season. :D

It's sounding as if you could sign up to work for two different associations and have more than one game a night. ;)

PS I hear that you are back into the instructional mix down there. :)

3 or 4 if you count the summer tournaments. I think I'm in the instructional mix, but then again, I'm not even officially part of that association. Let's just say I'm betting on black and red. I just hope green doesn't come up!

I'm so tired right now. I went to a camp last weekend, I'm about to do day 2 of a 3 day Euro/NBA "thing", have been working on assigning some games for next week and working the graveyard shift on my 9-5 (actually 6pm-6am). Today will involve two games, playing with my little girl, a massage and sleep!

The experiences I've had with adult rec ball have all been with a bunch of big babies who whine and yell and scream at nearly every call. I just don't enjoy it. If there was an adult league that controlled the behavior of the players and the players actually acted like grownups, then I might consider it. But the ones I've worked have just not been worth the abuse I've taken. I can find plenty of competitive games at the high school level in the summertime.

I am the same Smitty. Lost my job at that place we both love, and I was fortunate enough to find a job here in Texas. This will be my 6th association. I'm used to starting over in a new place - gotta learn 3-man mechanics, though.

I hear you, adult wreck ball can be a tough gig because there's usuallly no coaches or organization within the teams.
But we have the good ol' 3 Ts on 1 team = forfeit rule here. After my partner & I went home early (with pay) a few times, the players seem to have caught the drift.

I can hear them whispering when I walk in the gym now. "Don't say nothing tonight" or "Let them call the game, we'll adjust" :)

Personally, I believe anybody that can successfully manage a wreck game, can handle most sanctioned games with ease. Your communication & conflict resolution skills are put to the ultimate test with that animal!

Abuse? Since when do you "take abuse," Smitty?

First nasty look I get is a warning. Second bad behavior is a T, third and you're gone. Any escalation after that and it's "tweet....that's ball game." It actually works really well.

In rec league, you only get "abused" when you allow yourself to be "abused."

Sure, that's one point of view. You have fun giving out T's and throwing people out, and ending games. That's not my idea of a good time. I prefer a controlled game in a controlled environment where I don't have to be throwing people out left and right. The adult games are all yours. Have fun!

Where did I say it is fun? It's just part of the job.

Funny - I don't have to do all that with the youth tourneys. It's only a part of the job if you choose to do that level of crap. I choose not to.

And as a caveat, I do this job because it's fun. If it's not fun, what's the point?

That's fine. I was just commenting on your "take abuse" comment. IMO, it's a poor reason for looking down on rec league ball.

Some people have just have thin skin, I guess.

:D:) Not saying it's fun or I enjoy whacking/tossing people & ending games, but utilizing those tools certainly payoff in the longrun. I hardly have to go there lately, I have a "look" I give 'em now & it seems to be very effective.

Thanks, I'll take all the games I can get! I'm not as fortunate as others who are able to pick & choose... yet :D

I choose not to work adult rec league because in my experience it is not fun. If you can make a giant leap from that to making a deduction about how thick my skin is, let's just say that makes your opinion even more meaningless to me. :rolleyes:

Agreed

This summer marks my third foray into the men's league in this area.

The first year, I let players get away with a lot. Smack talk to my face, cursing, whining, etc etc. Boy was that a long season. Toward the end of the season, I started issuing T's, but fairly conservatively. Things calmed down a bit, but not much.

Last year, I came into the league with the mindset that I'm going to call it as I would a high school game. I think one night at the beginning of the season I called 10 T's over the course of three games. The guys got the picture.

Now, as Ch1town said, when I walk into the gym, the guys know who I am. They adjust their games (and attitudes) accordingly. Most nights I really enjoy the games I do, and some of the guys who used to curse me actually pat me on the back at the end of games.

It's all about your attitude. If you look at them as crap games, they will always be crap games. That's no one's fault but your own.

But if you look at rec league as a place to hone up on your skills (both reffing and people skills), it can be a valuable place for tuning up and making extra cash.

You are the one who says you don't like "taking the abuse."

To me, that signifies either thin skin or an inability to get the job done. I've gotten a lot of flak here over the years whenever I mention how I let a coach or a player cross the line without laying down the law. No different here.

There's no one to blame but yourself when you put on the whistle and fail to blow it when the occasion permits. It only becomes "crap" ball when you allow it to become that.