Need to Rant - Part I

[BlitzkriegBob]

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. 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.

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.