Young athletes remember their favorites: game, pair of shoes, road trip, practice drill, arena and
sometimes even referee. (Bear with me here before you begin laughing at my self-indulgence!)Back in my hometown (and surrounding cities), I constantly ran into coaches, parents and basketball players who excitedly remembered “that one double OT game you reffed in 2013!” or "that time you ran up to wall during a fast break."
...Well actually, it's more typically vivid memories of that now-legendary game when my pants fell down. Somehow everyone in the tri-state area was in the stands for that 8:00 AM contest.
But as a basketball official, I’ve had the best seat in the house to youth development and fun for fifteen seasons (and counting!). It’s most rewarding to see middle school kids grow and have the chance to become successful adults, knowing that one small interaction on or off the hardwood could have helped him or her grow as an athlete. Or better yet - as a person.
Having garnered numerous nicknames (Super Ref, Headband Man, P-Sizzle and "Oh Yes! It's Him" among them), dozens of photo requests and hundreds of retweets, I may or may not have an unorganized local fan club. That impact still blows me away!
To me, the satisfaction doesn't come from embarrassing out-of-line fans or counter-arguing a potentially missed call with a coach. (I haven't made a bad call since I dialed the wrong number five years ago, ya know.) My real enjoyment is the chance to be a role model on the court, moreso a teacher than enforcer.This energy is contagious.
Officiating youth sports is not just another day at the office you can mindlessly clock in and clock out for. If you present yourself as the expert who's not only ready for any wacky action, but excited to be in the game, you'll bestow confidence right away.
I've worked over 200 junior high, high school and AAU basketball contests four of the past five seasons and no matter the situation: a high stakes barn burner or a low-skill blowout, I bring the vigor and enthusiasm in respect of the every single player who puts in the time to improve. (Not to mention the families, supporters and coaches who harbor this time to give their kids a place to play.)
Fans will definitely question calls in the heat of the moment, but if the referee shows a willingness to put forth his/her best, they'll be more likely to earn the benefit of the doubt. Fans understand and notice effort.
But on more than a few occasions, I've had to grit my way through a game where an on-court partner admitted he'd rather be anywhere else. One incident saw an official checking his phone with the game clock running. Suffice to say, administrators, coaches and spectators saw this as an ultimate sign of disrespect and disregard for the task he was paid to work.
I'll probably never make it to the NCAA Final Four, but to that one kid out there - the game I'm assigned might be his version of the Final Four and he deserves my absolutely finest.
*Adapted from something I actually wrote in a cover letter that landed me a gig!
