This Sunday, I will step onto the floor donning the stripes and ref children attempting to play basketball. And I will be paid for it.
It’s happening, and there is nothing you can do about it, for better or for worse.
This means that this week will be spent with preparation as a major priority. It has been a couple of weeks since I worked those scrimmages, the first times I ever officiated anything before in my life, and all I have had to work with in the mean time are my rules books and practices tosses in the gym.
Whether it’s true or not, I admittedly do not feel as ready for the games this weekend as I would like, but there is nothing that can be done further. The best way to get better is to be on the court, and I’ve already been afforded my mulligans. It’s now time to cut my teeth doing it for real.
Each night this week, I plan to dedicate extra time to my practice: getting deep into the rule books, working on my mechanics in front of the mirror, blowing the whistle as much as possible. Ideally, this will help me feel better for Sunday and actually affect my performance, too. Because I’ll be doing youth games, I’ll also put plenty of work into my plans for how to throw out unruly parents without being confronted in the parking lot. Wish me luck.
Next week, I’ll have a full report of how my first real experience as a ref went, and hopefully I’ll still be alive to tell the tale. If not, I’d like to leave my ref clothes and equipment to Mark Donahue, my first son and one of the refs I know, because he could use the free stuff.
