Game Log 3/22/09: All-star game

I do think it's a good sign that I was selected for this game 1 1/2 weeks ago (yeah, I'm late...but nowadays, wife and boy always have legitimate things to do that beat refblogging). Seriously--the dude could have chosen anybody for these games, and he picked me. I honestly think he wanted to see what I could do with the very best (female) athletes from around here.

It went just fine. The key is that it's always a little easier to ref better players. Plus, in an All-Star game, it's always better to let them play a little anyway, and these girls were fine with that. Although I did whistle one walk...stutter-step I didn't think I could ignore.

The coaches were coaches from local small colleges. One did not like a rebound call I had. I had a good angle as T (maybe C) that saw his girl jump into the other girl...she grabbed the ball cleanly in the air, but landed on an opponent enough that I couldn't ignore it. The conversation with the coach went too long. I explained what I had. He said "Well, I had a good angle on it, and she didn't get her." I may have come across as too defensive, saying "I had a great angle, coach." Probably could have let it go, but didn't. Anyhow, there weren't other big problems.

The continuing problem is loosey-goosey mechanics. One of the more experienced guys (although I'm finding that I am rapidly becoming one of the more experienced guys) said that "You call a great game, and you look bad doing it." He then hit me with one of my LEAST favorite phrases: "You just have to want it." I can't stand it when people pass off difficulty learning as a character flaw. I don't do that as a teacher. Anyway, his recommendation was that I call fouls in front of a mirror all summer long. I'll do that. I'll even go for runs and call fouls on everyone in town--fire hydrants, joggers, dogs. But the critical key will be to slow WAY down after tooting my whistle and to "get in an athletic position," as one guy said. That's a great idea. And when I do that in front of a mirror, I don't look half bad.

I think this is a hugely critical next step for me, but anything physical has always been a challenge for me. But this is the summer it happens. It'll start with some weekend tournament games these next couple of weekends. I normally don't work much over the summer, but we could use the money, and I could use the practice looking athletic.

(More to come in my Year In Review post.)

THINGS I DID WELL: Call selection, handled quality athletes
THINGS TO WORK ON: Shorten coach communication, tighten up mechanics
NEXT UP: A HS tourney, 1 girls game and 2 boys, this Sunday. 2-person.