Remind me why we do this again?

[Thumper68]

This is the email that I had to send to my assigner after last night 3 games in the local Catholic league.


"I have two situations to report from our third game of this evening. It was girls. I called a dead ball technical foul on SEAS player #4 for telling me to "do my job". I had no other issues with her prior to or after the technical.

After the game as we were exiting the court, a female fan told us that we lost the game for them. My partner engaged her briefly.

As we were leaving the school the assistant coach and his daughter accosted us in the common area. He was complaining that his daughter got hit in the face during the game and that we failed to call a foul on it. Neither one of us saw it. He further continued to tell us how bad we were and that we "sucked". My partner started auguring with him and it escalated into a challenge from the assistant coach to settle it in the parking lot. My partner and I headed for the door with the coach and his daughter yelling at us. We avoided any physical violence, but the coach was calling us racist. We returned to inside the school and waited for the coach and his daughter to leave.

Oh and the daughter was the player that I called the technical foul on. This is the first time that I have experienced this kind of thing. The fact that it was coming from an assistant coach is appalling to me.

I thought that you would want to know about this incident."

There were many things wrong with this event on many levels. I am just about as upset with my partner for even engaging these people as I am with the assistant coach. It left no doubt in my mind why I had to issue the technical to his daughter after his fine display of sportsmanship!

This is the first time that anyone has ever said anything negative after a game, and it has left a very sour taste in my mouth. I am a third year official. On the way home I had serious thoughts about it being my last year. I try to work hard, study rules, and learn from others. We will see how tonight goes. I have three games in the same league (different school at least). I have not ever had any real issues in the league until last night. I don't have thin skin and I don't really care what an assistant coach thinks about my work, but it was a depressing ride home for sure.

Thanks for letting me rant!