Need to Rant - Part I
 

7th grade A & B matches. Partner is not wearing a shirt with an IHSAA logo (as required), nor does he have the current year's patch (as required). He is wearing Docker pants and a braided belt though. :eek: I notice all these immediately but give him the benefit of the doubt. He wants to be R1 for the 1st match (A). He whistles teams together while still standing on the court. I begin checking lineups for R team, then turn around to find R1 still standing on the court, checking S team! They are out of order so he begins placing them in the proper order. :eek:

Match begins, and for half of the first set he uses the point signal Fed stopped using a couple of years back. I have flashbacks to Tony's post on the Fed board about a partner using the wrong signals, so I decide (right or wrong) to use the correct signals. He begins to mimic my signals after a while, though I still wait for him to signal first since I never know what the heck he is going to rule.

He is also a photographer for a local fish wrap, and he told me before the match he has to take pictures at the high school match that night. I can see him sweating since we started a half hour late (V team didn't arrive until match time). As soon as the match is over he is out of the gym before I even have a chance to sit down to change shoes.

First time I ever looked at possibly blocking a partner. Only when I go to the Arbiter to look his name up, his name is not there. Apparently he is not a registered official. I guess you don't have to be in order to do middle school matches, but why would you want to do them if you're not an official. Oh yeah, I forgot...for the money.

Ok, this sounds like the belt/beltless discussion amongst basketball officials. But I have to admit that I wear navy blue Dockers. What should I be wearing?

Sorry Scrapper, didn't mean to belittle anyone wearing Dockers. I wear Honigs beltless slacks. This year I actually switched over to wearing pleated slacks and I really like them a lot. Considering myself to be a softball umpire foremost, I was in the habit of wearing plain front slacks with western pockets. Took me a couple of matches to get out of the habit of reaching in my pockets from the side rather than the top.

If you want to see a really sharp dressed volleyball official, you should check out the current issue of NFHS Officials Quarterly. Of course if you don't have one yet you might find yourself out of luck as the ladies are buying those up quicker than they can print them!

I don't care what anyone says, that dude is fugly.

;)

____________________________

BB,
I used to do Jr. High ball in Southern Indiana. I had a few real doozies for partners, too. Learn, laugh, and leave it at the gym. One thing about Indiana, I don't miss the 3 out of 5 in varsity ball. I was R for JV and V one night. I got on the stand that night at 6:00pm and got off at 9:20. We do 2 out of 3. That's enough for me!

Don't sweat it, I took no offense. Are the Honigs slacks polyester like basketball pants?

ZZ Top wrote a song about that guy - "Sharp Dressed Man"

Do you get royalties Felix?

Scrapper - Here it is recommended to wear a polyester basketball slack. Makes it easy as I do basketball also.

I didn't even get a *credit.*

That's exactly what they are. I would say you could wear your BB pants but it appears your volleyball uniform consists of navy blue pants rather than black.