As of Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019 at approximately 4:06 p.m., I, Justin Meyer, am a certified Ohio High School Athletic Association basketball ref.
Roughly eight weeks of classes, anxiety and practice have culminated in the completion of three strangely-worded tests that had me and the handful of classmates I did them with rummaging through our various books and manuals. We found almost every right answer, scoring 96 percent and above on each of the three exams.
But those weren’t the real tests. Those are coming, and they will be out on the floor.
I already have a couple of dates booked via one of the class instructors who assigns for a youth league in the area. But that’s only a small taste of what could be available to me. I have sent some emails out to assigners in an attempt to put my name out there, and we will see who picks me up. I’ll try contacting youth leagues in the area, too, as well as any other recreational organization that needs officials. Hopefully, I’ll find some steady work, make some cash and get good practice to continue my improvement.
Last week, I got my first taste of being a ref. I did two different scrimmages, rotating among the other mostly-new officials with some veterans mixed in to avoid the blind leading the blind. I did mostly junior varsity, though I did do some of a varsity game, too.
To say it was overwhelming would be an understatement. It’s amazing how all the training and practice you do seemingly evaporates from your mind once you’re actually out there. That’s how it felt for the first few times I went out, but the second day was already such a massive improvement. By the time I was toward the end of the scrimmage on the second night, I genuinely felt as though I was doing a good job. I felt good about my calls, and I became more comfortable with the flow of things.
That’s not to say I did everything right, because I didn’t even get close to that. But I could feel myself gain comfort and confidence as the scrimmages wore on. I had a better idea of what to ref within my primary coverage area, and knowing what to look for is an important step. It’s still way too much, and I know that I will miss calls, mix up mechanics and otherwise make mistakes. But it’s so encouraging to feel such a vast improvement in myself over a short span of time. It makes me feel better about my progression and that with more game experience and personal practice, I can become a good ref.
