I don't use the stop sign. But, OK.

I don't touch players. I cringed at reading that one, I'll admit.

That's why the joke is so funny!

Most officials eventually get to the point where they know it's time to hang it up, be it age or just not enjoying it anymore. Everyone is different. I officiated basketball for 12 years and called it quits after last season; I umpired baseball in three different stretches over the years, working around my boys playing, and decided to hang that up after this last summer as well. I worked varsity games in both sports for many years. Why did I decide to quit? It just wasn't that much fun for me anymore; the travel, nights away from home, nasty coaches and fans just started to wear on me and I finally realized it wasn't something I wanted to do anymore. I have other interests that had been put on the back burner to some extent over those 12 years (fishing, playing in a band) and I was ready to do other things with my free time. Enjoyed most of my years on the court and diamond and loved having the opportunity to stay around the game, but I haven't missed it one bit this season and am enjoying my extra free time to spend with my family and on other pursuits.

It can be hard to walk away when you worked so hard to get to a certain level in officiating, but if it just isn't fun anymore there really isn't a good reason to keep doing it, because the money isn't that great. I worked an extra year or two after I had come to the conclusion that I was ready to hang up because I really hated to give up everything I had worked for and earned. I should have left earlier because my last season or two was a real grind for me and more like a job than a hobby. When it's time it's time.