One of my first on-court lessons...

I want to share with you some moments from my first year of officiating in Portland. It was the 2001-2002 season, and it was nearing playoff time. In fact, there were approximately two games left for the players in the season. I was with a senior official in the association who I had had the pleasure of working with before. He and I seemed to “click” together, and the dynamic was even all around, until the fourth quarter.

It was a freshman boys game in the suburbs of Portland, between two rival schools, and it was very intense. Normally, in a game, officials are seen as “good cop, bad cop” and that was never more evident than this situation. I was the trail official, which means I was at the top of the key area, my partner was lead (down low) and the second of two free throws for the visiting team had gone into the air. I had called the initial foul that put the fellow on the free throw line, so I was already getting under some peoples skins. Having missed it, the rebound bounced out to the left of my position.

The visiting team obtained the ball and made a fake to go toward the inside of the key; the home kid took the bait. He pulled back and had the kid at his mercy for an open jump shot, which he took while fading away from the basket. While everyone seemed to turn their attention to the ball in mid-flight, we are trained to always watch the shooter until they land on the floor. This time, I was glad I had. Returning to the floor, still in the air, the kid who had been faked-out decided it was time to exact a little revenge. It came in the form of a body check, and it seemed I saw it alone. People groaned, and I began to get a little self-conscious.

This was an obvious example of a foul, but the next one was not as easy to call. This was getting really late in the game, and it was close. The Junior Varsity or “J/V” game was up next and their fans were streaming into the gym and helping to root on the freshmen. I was looking around the stands, thinking, “Damn, this place is getting packed. This is the first time you’ve had this many people in a gym to see a game you’re involved in.” I was starting to pressure myself not to screw up, and I was beginning to sweat.

The fans were chanting, chanting and the visitors, who were down by two, called a time out. My partner and I came together at half court and talked.

“You look a little worried,” he told me.

I was, and I was trying not to let it show. It only made it worse, so I remembered that I just needed to take some breaths and be myself out there.

The players were ready to go, and my partner handed the ball to the visitor at the designated spot on the sideline. I was down low, watching the jostling and pushing of the big men. The visiting center got position on his defender and made his move, faked, and took the shot. The home center waited and went for the block, and only nicked his elbow on the shooting arm. I blew the whistle immediately, and I was not prepared for what came next.

The crowd roared, stood up in unison of outrage that I had called a foul on their big guy! My left arm was in the air, my fist clenched tightly, and all of a sudden a huge smile broke across my face! I looked right at the crowd and grinned, even began to giggle a bit, and strolled to the scorer area to report the foul. People were stunned in the stands and some began laughing too! It was the only instinct I had in me to diffuse such a stressful situation. The people at the scorers table were smiling at me and from that moment onward, I knew I belonged on a basketball court as an official of this great game. At a moment so critical, I didn’t blow the call and I didn’t lose my cool over the reaction of every single person in that gym. I just was myself. That’s the lesson I want young officials to learn. You can know the rules, you can apply them as you see fit, but if you don’t know yourself then you will fail miserably under a situation filled with pressure.

This was a good learning lesson for me; although it took me all season to smile on the court and not feel self-conscious…it was worth the pain and effort of getting there. How you develop as an official is imperative and crucial to how you develop in life. I believe that this theory can be applied to almost everything that we do, whether we are doctors, laborers, or anything. If you do not love what you are doing and show that love in everything you do, then life will remain empty for you. I have a passion for writing and refereeing, and I think that comes through here and out there on the court.

Keep learning and ask questions,

David