It's funny how 72 hours can change how your season ends....

[OrStBballRef]

So my season was going to end tomorrow night, but last Friday I had a GV for two teams fighting for playoff position and the #2 spot in their league. Partner and I had worked together many times and we're on the same page throughout the game, which was just an easy, easy game. Visiting team wins by 14 or so. No complaints from any benches or players.

In the stands was an evaluator from our association, who also observes for several D1 conferences as well as being a former NBA official.

Game ends and we're in the locker room. He comes down and basically gives us a pretty good review. Lots of positive comments and a lot of stuff to work on as well. Since both my partner are 'younger' guys in our association we ask that he let our assigner know of his observations as it carries a fair amount of weight.

So I get the eval back late in the weekend and he has a lot of comments for us to work on, but also stated that as a crew we were more than capable of working a play off game in all but our highest classification. I was pretty surprised that it was that good of a review, but figured it was too late in the season to count as playoffs were starting up this week....

Fast forward to today and I got the notice that I have a playoff game this Saturday at one of the far corners of our association. Working with a guy who is heading off to one of our tournaments as well. Gym is about an hour + from my house and usually has a reputation of being filled to the brink. Every game I've had there the last 2-3 years seems like it has gone down to the last minute. Playoff teams are the #4/#5 seeds on that side of the bracket.

This will be my first 'true' playoff game (I worked a season ending conference tournament final last year, but it wasn't a lose, go home type of deal) so I'm stoked especially considering my game tomorrow is a GV between two teams who are at the bottom of their league and not going anywhere post-season wise.

Heck of a way to end a season....

[APG]

Congrats!

[JugglingReferee]

Congratulations!

[maven]

Well done! A lesson for newer officials: keep your head down and work hard, and somebody will notice.

[KJUmp]

Originally Posted by maven

well done! A lesson for newer officials: Keep your head down and work hard, and somebody will notice.

+1

[Terrapins Fan]

Congrats. Deep breath, relax and enjoy.

[Camron Rust]

Congrats...that will be a fun place to have a playoff game. Those sorts of venues usually are packed for those games. Have a blast.

[Nevadaref]

It's nice to hear that a HS chapter has some quality observers and even more so that those doing the assigning actually value their opinions!

[#olderthanilook]

Awesome! Congratulations!

Treat your reg season finale between the two bottom feeder GV teams as your playoff tuneup. Sometimes those types of games can be extremely close and/or competitive. Players playing for pride. Focus should go up!

[OrStBballRef]

So I finally had a chance to report back on the game.....

After I posted I read several other threads from officials in a similar circumstance so I actively read and took in what other refs had done in the past. I think the best advice I read was from someone who just recommended that you stop listed and take in the experience (sights, sounds, smells, atmosphere etc...)

Game was at a small town school that recently had their HS rebuilt (old one kept getting flooded) in a GREAT new facility. It still had a home depot smell to it indicating it was brand new. Place was about 2/3 full, but in the old school it would have been filled to the rafters.

What I was worried about in the game was the players getting too 'amped' up to start off the game which would lead to fouls early and often. They weren't, but what did take me by surprise was the environment. The fans were INTO it, much more so than a regular season game (as evidenced by much more howling when it came time for the infamous high dribble not being called a carry)...it just had a different feel to it. Every score, steal, rebound the crowd was alive. Especially when the home team went on an 8-0 run at the end of the half to pull within 3 at the break.

The 2nd half??? Well home team only scored 8 points and lost by 30, but still....

The most 'eventful' thing that happened on the court was at the start of the 4Q...I'm at the top of the circle and partner is behind me at the division line. I turn and start to head to one of the teams and I see this quick movement and followed by an ungodly sound of someone hitting the floor...hard. A cheerleader misread the sign from her coach and fell off her pyramid thinking someone would catch her...no one was there. Needless to say that was quite the momentary event while they tended to her....

When I look back on my career I probably will forget the game itself (it wasn't that memorable), but the atmosphere of a playoff game between two small towns across the state definitely will stick with me. And to whoever gave the advice to just soak it all in before the tip definitely gets some credit for that because that will live with me forever....

More importantly it makes me as an official want to continue to improve so those games become the norm in the future....

[jTheUmp]

I love the small town atmosphere for these types of games.

I grew up in a town of 1200 people. Our school system had about 55-60 kids per grade.
Friday night football games, we'd have 2500 spectators at the field... because it was Friday night and that's what you do on Friday night. And almost everyone had someone on the team that they were close to (Son, brother, cousin, nephew, friend of the family, etc)

Basketball games would usually have 800-900 people.



The level of play may be higher at the big schools, but for my money the best atmosphere is in the small town "event" setting.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by jTheUmp

The level of play may be higher at the big schools, but for my money the best atmosphere is in the small town "event" setting.

I agree. I've had State Finals of both big and small school classifications.
I would take the small school game every time, if given a choice.

Most of the town shows up and supports the kids. Usually a great environment, plus often some history to these match-ups.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by jTheUmp

The level of play may be higher at the big schools, but for my money the best atmosphere is in the small town "event" setting.

Agree 100%. In some small towns in rural Connecticut, it's the only event in town that night, other than cow tipping.