Game Log 2/9/2007: Embarrassing

It was my fourth time visiting this school this year. Three times last year. Every damn one of them a 7:30 start.

Tonight was a 5:45 start. But I didn't see the damn thing on my calendar. My eyes just blew right past it.

My partners, people I trust, didn't email me, nor I them. (Error number two.)

I walked in nice and early to evaluate the JV game. Right at tipoff.

Tipoff of the varsity game.

My game.

I ran into the locker room, changed in the stall, and was on the floor with 3:31 to go in the first quarter.

The game itself brought few challenges...it was a 40-point game and not terribly physical. There's one call I want back: I called a block at least partially out of mercy for the losing team in the third quarter, but I think it was too good a position to call a borderline call. I won't do that again.

I handled a good situation with the home coach. He didn't like a no-call by my partner near the end of the first, and told me about it. I said "My partner had a great look at it." He asked me to talk to partner about it. I did. Partner said the kid for White tripped over a kid in good position to fall down. I relayed that to coach at the start of the second (with partner's permission). Coach was cool and pacified.

I can't call three seconds while a coach is barking it in my ear as C. I was ready to, but I can't look like a ventriloquist coach's dummy.

Anyhow. Even though both of my partners said they wouldn't tell anyone about my tardiness (both are frequent partners who know this is way, way out of character for me), I went ahead and let my assignor know...in the unlikely event one of the coaches or the AD lets her know I was late, I don't want her to be blindsided. It's possible I'll be fined, but I can't argue about it. I simply blew it. But I'll shake it off. It won't ever happen again.

THINGS I DID WELL: Coach management, blowout management, especially in second half.
THINGS TO WORK ON: Fucking remember to fucking read the fucking schedule. Email partners no matter what. Reward good defense on block/charge call.
NEXT: Fortunately, I'm on my assignor's good side, because I volunteered to take some kid games this Sunday when we were shorthanded. She gave me FOUR. I haven't done four in a day since I was 9 years younger than I am now. I was bummed about that, but hey, now it's just penance for today's blunder.