Taking this too seriously?

Recently, assigned to a couple of junior varsity games in an out of the way logging town, I was forced to start a game with myself as the official, and no one else. Now I do not profess to be the “God” of refereeing, but I do make a concerted effort to look professional. I show up on time, I have a change of shoes from outdoor to indoor, I wear a clean uniform, I own an association jacket, I do my very best to keep a good name for the profession of officiating. Unfortunately, my partner did not uphold the same values.

Upon his arrival with two minutes to go in halftime, he looked confused and disheveled. On the first play of the second half, he slipped in his wet shoes and just about went down on the hard floor. I was standing on the opposite baseline, when he finally blew his first whistle. It came flying out of his mouth and bounced twice on the floor in front of players and fans, who began snickering. All I could do was take a deep breath and let it go, what else was I supposed to do? Supposedly this official has a year on me in experience, but I was not aware of that at the time all of this was happening.

We made it through both games, I really do not know how. At one point the crowd was arguing with me because I was the only one blowing my whistle out there. I started into the crowd with my frustration, which I would not recommend unless trained in the art of being a comedian.

“C’mon ref! Call it both ways! You can’t keep missing that!”

“Really,” I turned to the crowd and pinpointed the old man heckling me. “Don’t you have something original to say? I’d think at your age that you’d have been able to think of something that no ref has ever heard, but here you are and I am left with the same old clichés.”

I think that my own frustration was starting to become apparent. I am glad I did not pursue the argument with the old fellow, it would have gone nowhere anyway. I was angrier with my own partner than anything else. People who do not take what they do seriously unfortunately cause others to be taken as hacks too. All too often in officiating you are judged on appearance, I suppose this is true of anything though, but in a public job it can create trouble for co-workers who eventually get grouped into the pile for the sins of their partners. I wish to be no part of this! But, am I taking what I do too seriously?

The high school level is serious, but not as serious as college or professional. I suppose my goals of attaining the higher levels of basketball officiating come through on the court. I dress for success, I work hard no matter the level of game. All I ask is that people who do not, be put at levels of games where they will cause the least amount of damage or be removed entirely. I have fun on a basketball court because I come prepared for anything and I have no stress because of the prepared nature. I hope that the rest of my games this year do not end up like this past one, I may end up laughing out loud with fans and players at a partner who belongs in a recreational league.