Good news for once

[3rdPersonPlural]

All too often we post our gripes or errors or situations that we struggled with. Reading this forum, one might conclude that officiating is too difficult, complex, emotionally taxing, and low paying to join up.

There's the other side of the coin! Today I officiated a game between two of the better HS Varsity programs in our area. No late hits, wild checks, or football mentality. 2 personal fouls the whole game, with a few holds and pushes that were well advised (crease play) and no rougher than necessary. I heard no guff from either coach. We never made a questionable call, but that is no guarantee of gentlemanly behavior from the coach...We got handshakes and back pats from the parents as we left the stadium. We said kindly things about the quality of their programs and they said kindly things about how well we managed the game. Everyone, on the field and off, winning team and losing team, everyone was smiling and had had a great time.

The kids indeed played some sublime lacrosse. A friend of mine from these boards has grown from a kid with skills to a real lacrosse player, and that warmed me.

All in all, a great day!

Anybody else ever been reminded why they do this every year?

[scott68111]

3PP--I think any of us tha hae been this business for any amount of time can relate to what makes us do this...

Last week, I had a game with a first year program, struggling through the season with 14-16 players suited up for each game, has lost every game they played. They played a team that should have beaten them easily, well that didn't happen, the winless team ended up on top by 2 goals. While they were elated, they maintained their composure until after the handshake then they went crazy as if they had just won a state championship. I was sitting on the tailgate of my truck with my partner filling out our game report when the entire team came over and thanked us for being there at the first varsity win the program had experienced. Class act, have had a couple of other games with this team when they got beat by 10-15 goals and never once did they lose their cool, played the game as it should be and not once resortd to tactics outside the rules. Home coach ultimately paid them the ultimate compliment when he paid us, "we got beat by a better team today". Sure makes up for alot of the bad we experience on and off the field!!!

[LaxRef]

I have had the pleasure of working a number of really nicely-played college and high school games this year, with teams that played fairly and didn't lose their cool. I have been enjoying it quite a bit. Some of this, I think, may be because I'm getting better at game management.

[BlueJaysLaxFan]

I'm with LR on this one, too. I have had several varsity games with schools who in the past I have seen get into fights. I feel that I have made some great improvements in game management, and as a result I feel my games have gone well so far.
Now that I am saying this, my game tonight will probably result in a brawl!

[laxzeeb]

Some of this, I hope, is also due to the growth of the sport and how that has impacted on players being taught the proper skills. Transplanted players moving to new areas and coaching, USL programs and similar factors are starting to help move the game away from being football with sticks. Of course, you still see some goons on the field plus some over zealous players in the new programs. With the latter, however, much is simply the players not yet understanding the game or taking out frustration because their lack of skills is causing losses. I hope the trend continues as it makes our job easier.

[inblack]

Go to Europe .... this is simply how it is done there. They have he right Idea.

(Just returned from Ireland -- speaking from personal experience)

Here in Canada -- 4 or 5 games like that in my career, tat have driven the point home.
Most recent U-16 national final in Winnipeg a few years back. Overtime, textbook game that ended in a come from behind victory. Teams and coaches all thanked us, (winners and losers) on the way back to the clubhouse a # of parents from the losing side chased us down in the parking lot. I got my partners to all hold up and stop (they were resisting -- thinking the worst) These parents shook each of our hands and thanked us, for the game, for traveling across the country at our own expense, for reminding them how great the game is.
I thanked the parents for letting us be a part of the game, be part of their kids fondest memory of Lacrosse, reminding me again why I do what I do.
In the evening the winners invited every referee to their hospitality room, most of us went and had a great time, some of the losers parents game in later, and it was just enjoyable. The way it should be.

[CardinalPuff]

recently the AD from a school that i had officiated the previous day called me and thanked me for working the game and told me "it is always a pleasure to have you at our school. you make the game all about the kids"....needless to say this has never happened to me before...

btw, the AD was from a school with a proud lacrosse tradition and had just been humilated by their arch-rival 18-2...

[eme]

He was so effusive because, with you in charge, the clock went to running time in the second half and he got home early that evening.

[CardinalPuff]

He was so effusive because, with you in charge, the clock went to running time in the second half and he got home early that evening.

that is SOP my esteemed colleague, SOP.