Why do officials...

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

As most officials do, here in my little corner of the Provision State, when they work middle school games. Maybe no dressing room, and even if there is one, it's not very secure, and seldom does one have access to a shower.

You need a shower every time you work a game?

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

You need a shower every time you work a game?

Yes. Mr. Dimico, my junior high school physical education teacher, taught us good hygiene.

Either I take a shower at the site, get dressed back into my "business casual" street clothes, and stop on the way home for some adult beverages with my colleagues at the usual "watering holes". Or, I work a game where there is no shower, or no changing area, available, almost always a middle school site, and then I have to drive all the way home in my sweaty referee uniform (yuck), and take a shower at home. Since I live in the far southwest corner of my local board's geographic area, it's usually a long drive back to one of our "official" meeting spots, so I usually don't bother to go out, and just eat my dinner, and read my paper, or watch television. That's the "culture" of my local board. Been that way for over thirty years.

JRutledge: Do you not shower after every game when a shower, and changing area are available? Do you drive home wearing a sweaty uniform? I hope that you don't meet up with your colleagues wearing a sweaty uniform?

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

JRutledge: Do you not shower after every game when a shower, and changing area are available? Do you drive home wearing a sweaty uniform? I hope that you don't meet up with your colleagues wearing a sweaty uniform?

I do if the shower is not nasty and if they provide one.

If you have not figured out, I never wear my uniform out of the "locker room" ever. I always change from those clothes. Now some places you know do not have a good shower and I will still not come dressed.

I tend to not sweat that much at least not for what happens in a basketball game. And if I do the undergarments I wear do the job. Maybe it is my fitness level or just biology, but I am not one of these guys soaking with sweat after games. I take showers when I can, but even when one is not available I have gone right home. I also refuse to take a shower with cold water, so the shower is not an issue for me. But as stated previously most of the time there is never a locker. We are put coaches office or some lounge where they may not be a big room to shower or you have to go somewhere else.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I tend to not sweat that much at least not for what happens in a basketball game. Maybe it is my fitness level or just biology, but I am not one of these guys soaking with sweat after games.

You are indeed very fortunate, so count your blessings. By the middle of the first period, even in a Catholic middle school girls junior varsity (fifth and sixth grader) game, I'm sweating like a horse at the end of the Kentucky Derby. In a high school boys varsity game, I'm sweating like a horse at the end of the Belmont Stakes after only one, or two, possessions after the jump ball. Thus, unlike you, I will jump quickly into, and quickly out of, a cold water only shower. With the exception of those middle school games where there may not be a shower, or a secure changing area, I'm taking a shower almost everytime, as do almost all of my colleagues.

[just another ref]

For the record: I don't need or want a locker for anything. We are given a room, more often than anything else it is a coaches office. I could change in there if I wanted to, but I don't, and neither do 98% of my partners at all levels.

To each his own.

[Adam]

It's time.

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

It's time.

Not my fault.....this time.

I was talking about jackets.

[APG]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

It's time.

Psht...we haven't even gotten to talking about belts yet!

[APG]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

If you have not figured out, I never wear my uniform out of the "locker room" ever. I always change from those clothes. Now some places you know do not have a good shower and I will still not come dressed.

Likewise...I've only shown up in uniform once and that was because I was late (mix up on playing site).

[Adam]

Originally Posted by AllPurposeGamer

Likewise...I've only shown up in uniform once and that was because I was late (mix up on playing site).

Agreed. I don't always shower at the site after a game, but 75% of my games are within 15 minutes of my house. Of the rest, I think maybe two or three offer showers. Of the schools far enough away to warrant a carpool, I don't know that any offer showers. I just change back into my street clothes, pack up my stuff, and go home to shower.

And I'm a guy who needs to shower by halftime, usually.

[BillyMac]

I'm amazed at the differences in changing area "culture" demonstrated in the previous posts.

My local board services over seventy high schools, and all, but one, offer a secure changing area, and a shower. In most of these schools the changing area is either a coaches office, or a combined coaches/officials dressing area. Many offer lockers, bring your own lock, to hang up street clothes. The newer high schools in our area, those constructed in the past ten years, usually have a changing area dedicated to officials only.

Varsity, and subvarsity, officials around here wouldn't dream of leaving a high school site in their uniform, or leaving a high school site without showering, and putting their "business casual" street clothes on over a sweaty (yuck) body.

Middle school sites are entirely different. Most don't have a secure dressing area, and almost none have showers available. Most officials come dressed in uniform, and leave in their sweaty uniform.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

My local board services over seventy high schools, and all, but one, offer a secure changing area, and a shower.

I was wrong. There is a second school with no secure dressing area, and no shower. We service a small Christian high school that does not have a gymnasium. They play their games in a nearby elementary school. The first time that I was assigned there I showed up in "business casual" street clothes and was told to get dressed in a lavatory, or behind the curtain on the stage at one end of the court. Needless to say, the next time that I was assigned there, I came in uniform, and left in a sweaty (yuck) uniform.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by AllPurposeGamer

I've only shown up in uniform once and that was because I was late (mix up on playing site).

My local board recently began servicing a new school, a small, private, girls prep school. I worked there for the first time this past year. I showed up in my "business casual" street clothes and had to change in a men's lavatory, off the gymnasium, with a few lockers next to the urinals. No privacy. Several fans came in to use the facilities while I was changing. No showers. Next time I'm showing up in my uniform, and, again, I'll be forced to drive home in my sweaty uniform (yuck).