Wreck Ball- How do you guys do it?

[JRutledge]

I don't. Problem solved.

Peace

[cmhjordan23]

$40/game for rec league. Where is this? Where I live it is around $20-25. I used to do rec, but no more. They just don't know how to play and complain all the time. A lot of the teams just drive and kick for the 3 so it was easy on the officials. I have now done in addition to H.S, adult league for the past 3 years. Very competive and evenly balanced. They have captains and do a draft every year. I think I am done with that. Not everybody is bad, but there are the few that make it unbearable. Same old, you either call too much or not enough. It's never ending. Not worth it. Especially for only $24/game and put up with this for 3 games. Luckily I don't do it every week. Usually every other.

[bainsey]

I have a friend that assigns some rec ball ($25 or so/game), so I'll take a few games to help him out. He's gotten me out of jams before, and I enjoy those assignments. There are some humorous objections from coaches/fans, but nothing earth-shattering.

In my first year, I took a lot of volunteer Y games, to get some experience. They had problems with kids dunking and ruining rims, but no-one would dare call the T. (I worked with a lot of younger 20-somethings.) Finally, in a championship pre-game, one kid attempted the dunk. I decided they'll never stop until someone pulls the trigger, so I did.

None of the players or coaches got mad at me, though they gave the dunker an earful. (He was a good, popular kid that everyone loved and showed it by dumping on him regularly.) However, we had to get another partner for me, because my partner suddenly became "too hurt" to run. In truth, he was a 20-year-old that admittedly hated to call fouls, and was too angry at me to dare call a T to work with me. I can't say that I missed him.

The last time I volunteered for a Y game was the only time ever a parent cursed me out after the game. I handled it, but I have no desire to volunteer there again. If you're going to take volunteer games, bear in mind you'll be working with people that don't expect you to be professional.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I don't. Problem solved.

Peace

Right. And if I do fill in I normally get 2 reactions -- one, I'm the best official they've seen all year and, two, I don't take any crap.

When we work HS baseball, we hear coaches tell their players that they can't run their mouths because "these guys don't take any of that crap." Does my heart good.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Right. And if I do fill in I normally get 2 reactions -- one, I'm the best official they've seen all year and, two, I don't take any crap.

Yep! Also, a lot of these coaches attend HS games, so they see us on a regular basis.

I was told by the scorer that the team I tagged with the T for pre-game dunking last Saturday has a history of comaplining and whining. Funny, I didn't hear a word out of them all game.

[jTheUmp]

Depends on the level.

I do both youth (11U, 12U, 14U, 16U, and 18U) and adult wreck ball (18+).

The youngest kids are actually the easiest games to work, because at the youngest levels, the kids, coaches, and parents are more about just having fun. The 16U/18U games are tough, but I make it a point not to put up with any complaining. (It helps that our league has an "cursing is an automatic Technical Foul" rule).

Fortunately, I haven't had too many spoiled children in my adult games. Maybe it's the (as far as I know, actually enforced) "ejection = $50 fine + 1 game suspension" policy that helps on that end.

[SNIPERBBB]

Originally Posted by jTheUmp

Depends on the level.
The youngest kids are actually the easiest games to work, because at the youngest levels, the kids, coaches, and parents are more about just having fun.

Utopia has been found!!!!!!

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by SNIPERBBB

Utopia has been found!!!!!!

The Road To Utopia trailer

[tjones1]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I don't. Problem solved.

Peace

Ditto!