Banned?

Officiated 6 games this weekend.  2 games Saturday at the "Old" Hobart Middle School and 4 games at St. Mary's.  Saturday's games were uneventful; keep that in mind as that will come into play later.  The 4 games at St. Mary's were all MS girls games (CYO, Catholic Youth Org).  These are the scores: 26-9, 18-0, 10-5, 30-10...4th game, the losing team couldn't pass, dribble, shoot or play defense, which left them at a bit of a disadvantage to say the least; so, they resorted to football.  Pushing in the back on layups, tripping and slapping on every shot.  Legitimately the other team committed and was called for fouls as well.  After the game, 2 Moms came across the court to where we were to tell us how terrible we were.  Apparently, I'm assuming it was the losing team but they never said, their kids were kicked in the head and punched in the ribs and that was the worst officiated game they had ever witnessed.  I kind of chuckled thinking about a variety of responses that I could have said: have you ever watched a Big 10 game? Is this the first game you have ever seen?  Where do you work, I would like to come yell at you at your job (ok, maybe that is not fair).  My partner said: "Call the CYO office, we are not allowed to give you our names. Have a nice day ma'am."  I think "madam" would have been funnier.  This is the problem with MS games, the parents don't know their place.  They can yell at me from the stands all they want, but don't come into my area, you have no business there.

Anyway, I get to work today and I have an e-mail from my assignor asking if there was something that went on during Saturday's games...Remember?  The games that went smoothly.  Apparently, me and my partner have been banned from officiating at Hobart ever again...Naturally, I asked why.  Well, all he got was that all 4 coaches complained that the games were out of control and one game we only called 5 fouls...OK, well, the games weren't rough at all and I don't keep track of fouls and I didn't know I was supposed to call a certain minimum number of fouls...Seriously?  These kids were having their first practice right before the games...some of these kids (5th/6th coed) had never played basketball before...The coaches never said a word to me or my partner and the guy that paid me was very friendly when he handed me my money, which at $23 per game is not worth the drive unless I love what I'm doing, right?  Hell, he said, "I gave you some singles in case you go get a lapdance."  Does that sound like something you say to someone you are going to ban from ever coming back?

I do this because I love it, I do these particular games just for experience.  I work on my mechanics so that someday I can do the varsity games.  I am never going to get rich officiating HS or MS basketball as there isn't any money in it.  I do it because I love it.  Getting banned bothers me, mostly because it is wrong.  Sure, I could call 50 fouls, but then I would stop the game every 5 seconds.  He wants the games finished in 55 minutes.  What would these kids learn from that? You gotta let them play unless it starts to get out of hand at this level.  You tighten up the games as they get older and they understand what they are supposed to be doing.  Then they learn more.  So frustrating....

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