Anyone get worse after the first few years?

[afsst]

Don't get discouraged. Lower level games are often more difficult to officiate and present tougher calls (because the kids are more out of control). Also, there are only 4 eyeballs on the court instead of 6, so we'll miss more.

The key is the passion and attention you are giving your craft. You obviously have high standards and "grieve" over missed calls...I'm a lot like that too. I don't think that's a negative unless you become obsessive. Some of my favorite officials are able to admit mistakes, but in a non-passionate and non-arrogant way. They just state what they've learned and move on.

One bit of advice a mentor gave me: keep the negative thoughts and words off the court. Don't "lament" bad calls during the game. Stay positive and look to get the next one right. Don't speak negatively about your performance during time outs. I think that just serves to bring the crew down. After the game you can discuss issues with your partner(s). I think if you stay positive, despite what happened 30 seconds ago, you won't have issues "snowball."