Do you guys still get nervous on Fridays?
 

This is my 7th season and first as a regular varsity official. I have had 5 or 6 varsity games each of the last few years.

Do you guys still get nervous and pumped for Fridays? I do! It is Thursday night and I cannot wait to get to my Friday game. I love being on the field on Friday nights

Thoughts??

No - but I still get a small butterfly to work college games.

I'm honoured to reach that level.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, BABY!!

YEAH YEAH YEAH!!!!!

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That is what I am saying.

I have talked to some college officials that went through our association and they all say that there is nothing like Friday nights. They all say that they miss Fridays.

Good nerves - pumped and ready to do the best job I can for the kids. Gotta Love it!

I am already anticipating that moment where I'm standing on the goal line before the opening kickoff, both teams have been counted and all the officials are in their positions. Every Friday night I take an extra second to remind myself how lucky I am to be in the best place in the house -- with by best friends and colleagues knowing that my whistle will start what is the highlight of the week for many of us.

And then we start. And two hours later it's over much too soon (most of the time). And then the next highlight -- hitting a restaurant, watching the highlights from around the area, and reliving our game all over again.

When we remember to start out with the right attitude, life can really offer some great moments.

I get excited, but not nervous. Actually I get so focused that the game starts without me realizing for several plays.

Peace

Maybe nervous energy waiting for the kickoff after walking around the field for 35 minutes...but not a bad nervous going to toss my cookies feeling at all.

When I quit getting excited over a ballgame on Friday night, I will quit officiating! I love it! Sitting here right now waiting on 5:00 to get here! I agree with the other guys - it's a "good nervous." I'm not worried about blowing a call, or not being prepared, but I'm definitely pumped!

I'm ready to kick off another season!! I've been sitting around all day waiting for our departure.

I look forward to it each week, even to JV's on Thursday. But to say nervous or butterflies, not really. I might be especially happy that I have a good match-up or dread having a certain sideline that is more taxing than another.

There are some times in the middle of the season that I begin to feel a little like a rock musician on the road- "its Wednesday I must be in Asheville".

I do try to take a moment to hear the band drum cadence or look for the sun setting behind the trees or mountains before the game.

I've always said that a bad day with football is better than a good day at work.

(Works with golf, and other things too. :D)

Reminds me of the old joke about how sex is like pizza. ;)

Nervous is the wrong word. Excited (to the point of goosebumps when talking about it) more accurately describes my feelings.

"Nervous" to me means you are worried, concerned or scared what is going to happen in the game. I have not been that in so long I cannot remember when I was last nervous to work a game. That is what experience does, it calms you are makes you realize that some things you do not have to worry about because you have done this 1000 times before.

Peace

Funny that you say 1000.

I did a double header of youth games today and one guy in the crowd did everything he could to centre himself out. He then yelled out "[if I] had ever done this before."

So I did a quick count between downs: it's possible that I'm up near 1,000 football games in my career.

I did use nervous in my OP. As several of you have stated it is more an excited and pumped. Can't wait to get there and get going.

Both of those are good words to use describing the first game. :)

This is my 8th season as an official, my 3rd as the referee on Firday night. This is the first season I have not gotten nervous before a game. Now I still get as excitted as I ever have...it's just that I think my abilities and confidence have finally gotten to the place where I know I can go out and work a good game. I'm no longer bothered by the nagging feeling of "what will I screw up tonight" but rather "what new thing will I get to see tonight". But then again, I'm the white hat and anyone will teel you that we have the easiest job ont he field, so I suppose I may not be the best person comment on this.

This is my seventh year, and fourth as a fulltime wing official on Fridays. I always get very excited and love every bit of Friday -- at work anticipating the game, driving there, picking me up a source of caffeine, dressing out, having pregame, walking the field, working the game, talking about it afterward, getting something to eat, watching area highlights. And at some point I get to sleep, but it takes a long time to get wired back down.