Am I Nuts?
 

Now that HS season is over for me, back to into weekend warrior rec leagues for kids..

Did 3 games today and was welcomed back by a parent yelling at me at end of game about his son being pushed out in the 1st half! Of course his son's team lost by 7!

Am I nuts doing rec ball???

Maybe not nuts, but definitely a glutton for punishment and abuse.

Yes you are but it beats being bored I guess. My option for escaping boredom is chasing real wild animals instead of having to listen to the hardwood howlers for a few more weeks.

As someone who has worked, literally, thousands of kids rec games, let me tell you this - every time you make a call against one of the kids, his or her parents react by thinking you're trying to deny their kid the opportunity to get a D1 scholarship. :eek:

Not kidding.

Yes you are. So glad our season has about a month to go. I might not be working that entire month, but I have games to go see at the end. Then the NCAA Tournament starts the weekend of our State Finals. Good times. ;)

Peace

Maybe not nuts, but it certainly didn't help my game.

With the lesser experienced officials I try to help in the Rec Leagues, I expand my field of vision too much. I had several double whistles in my last V game Fri. I was disappointed in as I had developed a few bad habits. Needed to do better staying home in my primary in the Rec Games and letting my P's call there area! :(

Just like what happens when I say "A fairy doesn't exist"

My base is using untrained volunteer refs for an abbreviated season. A few of us real refs are going to volunteer to work the playoffs. That's the only rec level ball I will do this year.

My off season consists of a couple of camps, some higher level AAU, then a Pro-Am league in the summer.

Me and my brother call this the "18 year, get rich quick scheme". I think this year has been the worst for fan/coach behavior for the rec league I work for occasionally. First time I've had to dump a coach, had a parent get upset that his kid got told to stop complaining, way too many parents that want to get confrontational as your trying to get to your hiding spot, etc.

Have you seen an increase in parents wanting to get in your face?? What has changed from say 10 years ago?

Our kids rec league has significantly less bad behavior than it did 10 years ago from all parties involved. Not coincidentally, I think, the quality of play is waaaaaay down from where it was at that time, as well the number of participants. Kids just have too much else going on today.

Wanna play ball?

Nah, I'm gonna go ride my 4 wheeler for a while, then I have to text during all my other waking moments.

I will do an occasional rec ball set for a few reasons:


1) Its decent money if I'm not doing anything else. (We get $40 for games that usually take right around an hour)

2) Our rec assignor is a good guy, we have a lot of mutual respect, and he will ask me to help him out with covering games or training a newer official from time to time.

3) Its decent money if I'm not doing anything else.


But I really despise doing these games for many more reasons:


1) More times than not it's really bad basketball.

2) Dealing with coaches who don't know rules, have no idea how to properly address officials, and little to no control over their kids.

3) Idiotic parents who think little Johnny can do no wrong even though he's a spoiled, foul mouth, know it all teenager with zero athletic ability

4) Players who have attitude problems due to #2 and #3.

5) Inexperienced partners who put a bunch of crap in the game and far too often cant take any constructive criticism

6) I really dislike 2-person and feel like I develop bad habits.

7) It's bad basketball.

So like I said, I really despise doing rec games and I'm close to completely eliminating them from my schedule as I try to take my officiating to the next level.

I realize these games have to be covered and God bless those of you who do it. When I was a grad student I basically reffed for food and did everything from little 6 year old girls and up.

But it's just not worth it to me anymore.

I do one day of rec basketball every few months to pocket a C-note or more and remind me why I don't do it more often.

That said, the last few times I did rec ball I had no problems with anyone and got a fair number of compliments from parents between games, which were usually met with, "give me time, you'll hate me soon enough."

+1million

Rhetorical question? YES you are nuts.