Losing A Lesson

Have you ever thought that you may have missed a lesson in life because you did not listen? On the other hand, maybe you misread a situation, a person, a player, or even a book. I decided to go public with my web site this week, perhaps it was a good decision, and perhaps it was bad. At any rate, I have been peppered with good comments, bad comments, impartial ones and just silly garbage. Overall, I am pleased. I have learned a lot.

EGO….some people are able to keep it under control, others are not so able and yet somehow we all seem to be able to function. Perhaps I am a little controversial in my writings on the site, but who wants to read boring cliché garbage? Do you think that Rick Reilly has a column in SI because he sucks or is boring? I highly doubt it.

RESPECT…some people have it, some do not, and it could conceivably be linked to the ego. I am a young official, 29 years of age and soon to hit the big three-oh next month. I look younger than I am, at least that is what I’ve been told. I have trouble coming up with credibility in my appearance due to my age….does that seem fair? Perhaps that is why I have struggled my way through this, learning that officiating is for the older, more respected men out there. Do I even need to go into the problems that women face in officiating? That is a whole other web site!

I have an idea, I think all young officials should do this if they are having trouble like myself in this realm. Go out and purchase a bottle of hair dye, make sure it is grey. Next, get really lazy. Quit your day job and sit around eating pork rinds and drinking beer (sober up for your games of course) until you develop a beer gut that is at least four to six inches beyond your pant’s waist line. Unfortunately for me, I have such a high metabolism that most of this would prove ineffective and would only serve to raise my cholesterol to a dangerous level. But if it works for you, you will earn much more respect than you could possibly dream.

Lessons, lessons, lessons. Everyday I learn something new, usually in the outside world, hardly online. My point? Youth have something to add to officiating, youth have things that are valuable to say. Do not put the future of basketball officiating in the toilet because you see youth as a threat, ego or not. Try giving back by sharing stories, sharing experiences. Go help out at a camp, go forth and be a mentor to many or just one. Do not suffocate the profession that you have seen fit for so many years to be a part of.

So what do I do? I guess I just wing it, like everyone did at my age or younger. Do my best like I do with everything I attempt. This web site for example, why is it that there are no others like it out there? What I think is really funny, no matter what I say on this site it will always be taken out of context. My sarcasm, my wit, and personality are hard to take at times. But roll with it, this is my mountain to climb, get your own.