Tournament Time?
 

I was wondering is in common in your areas to have Christmas Tournaments going on now? There are many around here that start both before and after Christmas.

One of the most fun times of year in my opinion.

Peace

I wouldn't call it "common," but we have several tournaments here the week after Christmas.

Looks like I'm working the "Bulldog Bash." Woof, woof! :p

There's a college around here that does a New Year tournament. They usually play Dec 31 and Jan 1. I have the late game on the 1st.

Not uncommon here in Ohio. I'm working a boys tournament right before Christmas and a girls right after. I'm cautiously considering wearing a pair of Christmas socks: black with the image of green holly and red berries sewn in along with a red/white image of Santa. Also has a microchip that plays jingle bells but that doesn't work anymore. Most of it won't be visible. What do you think, should I go for it?

Merry Christmas!

I'm working 3 games between Christmas and New Year's Day. All part of some tourney, which here in Wisconsin usually involves 4 teams playing 2 games each on 2 nights. Nothing like Illinois (when I was licensed there, it was mainly for these tourneys).

PArt of the reason for the difference in tournaments is because of the way the states count / restrict number of games.

In WI, it's a flat number (18 or so, I think).

In IL, you can play up to 5 games in a "tournament" (that can extend over two weeks), and the "tournament" only counts as 1 game in the limit. So, a team could play 21 games (I think that's the limit) and no tournaments, or 18 games plus 3 tournaments = 33 games. (that's not the exact way it works -- the second tournament a team is in might count for 2 games).

We're up to 22 games, I think. But you're right about the limit. It would be nice to have more games to work over the holidays, but I have 3 each of the next two weeks, so that's not horrible, I guess.

What would Christmas be without tournaments? Had 3 varsity games one day, all different sites last year......loved it

3 Tournaments
 

I have three tournaments. One before Christmas and two after. I also had two tournaments before Thanksgiving. Here in GA we partner with another association during these tournaments. If the tournament is at a school that has been assigned to us by GHSA then we get two slots and our partner association gets one. They reciprocate with their tournaments.

Here a tournament counts as 2 contests no matter the number of guaranteed games towards the limit of 20 allowable regular season games (not including the playoffs).There are several tournaments out here which start the Monday/Tuesday after Christmas.

If no one notices and your partners are into the fun, why not? ;)

Peace

Yep, I'm working several tournaments.

I just love this time of year because it is like crack for basketball junkies. Fortunately I am blessed to work multiple times before and after Christmas in tournaments and after Christmas we work multiple games in a day. I get to hang out with friend and tell war stories in hospitality rooms and meet new and interesting people. Some in our area work multiple tournaments at different sites, but if you are privileged like I have been for the last 6 or 7 years, I get to work one major tournament at the same site for 3 or 4 days and then I work another well known tournament on the day be fore New Year's Eve. It is a great time with some travel involved, but I could not imagine this time of year without working basketball. And before I worked these tournaments, I used to go watch them. It is a lot better to work of course. ;)

Peace

I'm working two games tonight in a Christmas tournament, then another couple later in the month for another tournament. Also worked a couple during a Thanksgiving gig.

We have a ton of them out here but I'm not good enough for any of them yet. :(

I've been contacted to work two separate MLK holiday tournaments. No actual schedules yet, however.

What's funny about our tournaments is that I'm thrilled when I get assigned the consolation game -- it always starts early, about 6PM. The championship starts at about 8PM and by 8:30PM, we're in a restaurant having beers and dinner.

Same with the first round -- give me the early game every time.

You must love those overflow crowds in access of 50 for early starts!

Usually up here the host school plays the second game the first night, so you're right about the attendance. Reminds me of a typical NCAAW game or a D3 baseball game.

RichMSN, will you be watching the Whitewater-Mount Union game tonight or do you have a game? As a Mount grad and former QB there I wish I could see it but I've got a game. I give the edge to Whitewater but I'm going with Mount 27-24 on a late field goal. What do you got? Any of you who do D3 football, have you had these two teams at all?

I have a graduate degree from Whitewater. Unfortunately, I have a varsity boys game tonight and will only be able to watch it later on my DVR.

I don't work D3 football. I hope to next season, though. The WIAC is a tough conference -- the schools are huge for D3. Whitewater has almost 12K students.

I know. Mount has around 2200. Comparative scores against Oshkosh favor Mount but we both know that doesn't mean much. Two great teams-should be fun. I'll have to watch tomorrow too.

I am another official from God's country (Illinois)! I work in three (2 boy and one girl) holiday tournaments. However, my wife and I watch games in 3 other tournaments as well. WE LOVE THE COMPETITION AND ATMOSPHERE!!

Better luck next year.

Yep. It will probably be the same matchup again.

Because of a cancellation on Saturday (pipe broke in the school), I will have 5 games/dates in 5 days. Then a full week next week as well. Great time of year.

Peace

I usually have about 3 games/week (sometimes 4).

During the week after Christmas, I have 5 games in 3 days....all 2-man boys varsity. On the days with two, I've got a got a relatively early game (10:30am/1:30pm) game and then a 7:15 pm game. Plenty of time to rest between.....it should be fine but I will certainly be taking Advil as a preventative measure.

That is tourney time.....and I love it. Usually good games and lots of them.

This year I have not had a game with less than 4 games a week since the HS season started. But typically it is usually 3 games a week.

Peace

That's kind of odd Rich-
Here the host school (in the tournaments I've been to) plays the last game of the night!

Camron - when and where are your games, if you don't mind saying. Thanks.

While not the Chicago area, there are quite a few taking place in around here. I am right there with you as far as being a great time of year. I always look forward to seeing teams and officials I only see at this time of year. I always enjoy the chance to sit with other officials and watch the game before or after mine.

Schedule worked out about as good as I could hope. I was able to schedule an early afternoon game and evening game on four of the five days. It never usually works out this well.

Saw this article about one of the Chicago area Holiday Tournaments. Must be quite the event.

Wild, wild Proviso West - YourSeason

One of the best tournaments in the country. BTW, I was on the game with the leak last year. Game was delayed over an hour and caused some challenges to deal with water on the court. And we had an upset. There is usually not a bad game in that tournament. All teams are competitive and you have interesting games.

Peace

Replied by PM....

It is the mother of all tournaments, always star studded.

Proviso West All-Time All-Tournament Team (2000)

And this is an old list!

A few years back Jon Scheyer of Duke fame scored 21 points in something like 90 seconds.

It's a toss up for doing a state final or a Proviso tourney game for me

I love the holiday tourneys!
 

I'm working three tournaments this year between Christmas and New Year. I've always worked a holiday tournament every year but this will be the first time that I've been lucky enough to be asked to work in three of them. Like JRut I too look forward to these games and wait anxiously for the call from the assignor to find out when I'm working.

Watching the local news last night and the second story is a huge fight at a local game that starts in the stands and spills onto the court - players, coaches, etc. all get involved.

My son says to me, "Hey dad, don't you have that team next week?"

"Why yes, yes I do." First game of my tournament......

Paper says they expect suspensions. Hopefully, my game will be a bit more quiet!


Here's some video: http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/loca...ltimore-122211

I just picked up a third game next week. It's 2-person, but that's OK.

So that just leaves Monday and Tuesday open. There's still time. It's sad when I would probably work as a third for free, but I do love this time of the year and any opportunity to get on the court. :D

I just picked up a fourth game for the week, tonight. An official got sick and called me to replace him. Girls game. 2-person on a college-sized court. I can use the exercise.

I figured if I just waited long enough I'd work all week. :D

Truly a great time of year for basketball enthusiast.

I have the good fortune to have a light telework week at the day job so I left my schedule open all day.

BV double headers starting at 4pm today and 1pm tomorrow, then a tourny championship game on Thurs night.

Very rare to do a boys double around here but they had no choice with some schools starting games as early as 9am.

Interestly, I'm the only one working both of my dhs. A different partners set of partners for the second game both days.

I'd love to work 2 games in a day more often. I'm in a lot better shape than I was a few years ago, though.

I have 6 dates with 2 games scheduled this season. Mostly 1PM juco games with 7:30PM HS games. The time between games means I have to stretch just as much as I do when I work a single game, if not more.

A Name Can be Deceiving, I Guess
 

I can just hear your pre-game: "Okay fellas, all five of you remaining on the team after the free-for-all the other night, I expect you to all act like "Clerks" out there . . ."
With a fierce mascot like that, you'd expect a fight to break out now and then. What is this, a prep school for stenographers? :D

Double drats........
 

Nope, no pre-game for me.

Assignor just called. Game I talked about in post #38 caused suspensions and a forfeit of my game tonight. Thankfully, I have another game on Thurs......I hope!

I'm guessing there will be no game check for you, either. There should be.

Nope
 

You guess correctly.

That's terrible. Schools think that contracts are one way documents where only the official agrees to anything. Too many assignors go along to get along.

If a game gets canceled for a reason other than weather, the school should be on the hook for the game fee. There's likely no time to pick up a comparable assignment at the last minute and it's not the official's fault that he no longer has a game.

My game tonight:

The visiting team (on the scoreboard) had a perfect first quarter. They scored no points and committed no fouls.

17-5 at the half, 39-7 final. The visiting team put up goose eggs in the first and fourth quarters.

We had a total of 16 fouls. The home team had 9, the visiting team 7. Tipped at 6PM, I was changed and in the car by 7:15PM.

Two more games for 2011.

Never Forget......
 

Early on in my career I did a MS game where it was 0-0 at the end of the first quarter. No fouls either. Only blemish on the scoreboard was the 1 which reflected the quarter.

As I approached the table, the clock op (AD) looked at me and said, "That's six minutes of my life I'll never get back." Classic for me! :)

I've managed to work some really lop-sided games since moving to Wisconsin. The 88-12 boys game this year. Last night.

But the worst was a first round girls playoff game where the top seed played a small private school who spent the year playing small private schools. 23-0 after one quarter, the final score was something like 92-9.

I've now worked 17 games this season and the closest one was 8 points and *that* game didn't even feel close. Luck of the draw -- we're scheduled almost 2 years in advance, so sometimes you end up with an unexpected gem and other times....