In a Small Town

[Kansas Ref]

I like the alteration of scenery, playing styles, and cultural nuances that inhere with reffing rural hoop games. In the city, driving well, sux.
I must say that the fans at rural gyms do voice their displeasure on calls in a more--cordial and humored manner--than fans at the urban gymnasia. Also, I've found that those parents and school admins are so "grateful" that I came out to ref they games. Nothing like pulling into a school's gym and seeing gunracks on pickup trucks in the parkling lot.
Rural gyms are near and dear to my heart, that is how I got opportunities to 'move up' by taking varsity assignments out in the county when all the older/networked officials had saturated the urban/metro school varsity assignments. I was willing to travel 45 mins to 1.25 hrs to work those rural games and my assigner appreciated it. Been offered to go fishing and quail hunting by local folks after games too--though I never took up on it--for good reason..lol