The Madness Part II

Piggybacking on the post published before this one about this 'hoopiest' time of year, I pause to look back on the past few weeks of whistle-blowing with some observations, some warm fuzzies, and some regrets. When I first convinced my bestie to agree that we return to the frozen tundra of Canada so that I could offer my assistance to the high school boys' basketball playoffs and championships, I figured that the scales measuring the pluses of entertainment + renumeration would outweigh the minuses of braving snowstorms, ice, and cold.

At least from my perspective, it was the right call, to coin an officiating phrase.

Some observations:
Starting back at it on Tuesday February 6th, and culminating with the Intermediate Boys' County Championships on March 5th, I have or will have officiated:
33 grade 7-8 games (Including league, zone, area, and county playoffs),
13 high school boy's playoff games,
6 Barrie men's league games, and
10 club games of varying ages.

That's a grand total of 62 games in 29 days. Additionally, thanks to 2024 technology, that's roughly 86 000 steps (and counting) that equates to nearly 66 km, which is a crazy amount of back and forth on this old frame. 

Some Warm Fuzzies:

During those 62 games, I had a front row seat to the amazing talent on display by a wide range of athletes that sweat for glory in Simcoe County's gyms. I had an equally awesome view of the selflessness, sacrifice, and competency of the volunteers who guided their teams to whatever successes they realized. While it's true that we referees get paid for our time, the vast majority of us do what we do for the kids as a contribution to their well being, happiness, and enjoyment.

While I would be the first to admit that the stars of the month were the high school athletes, their toil infused with a healthy dose of aggression, passion, emotion, and frustration, I feel compelled to tip my hat to all that were involved in February's escapades. That includes the thankless job that the minor officials have bequeathed their school mates, since almost all of them are high school aged youngsters looking to bank some community service hours or pocket a few shekels. That list must also include the school custodians whose tireless efforts largely go unnoticed, but were it not for those efforts, the safety of their school's athletes would be in serious jeopardy.

Obviously, they keep score for reason, and not everyone who took the court in representation of their school was successful in the effort. The sad reality of sport is that only one team wins their last game. Even though I empathetically shared in the tears of those who fell just short, I also revelled in the elation of performing at levels previously unrealized, making coaches beam with pride. 

I've written it before, but you never really get to know your kids until they've battled through some adversity, coming to grips with how to manage the myriad of emotional swings and outcomes.

That's why coaches coach.
It's really quite simple.

Congratulations to the Sr Boys from Our Lady of the Bay ('A' in Welland), St Joseph's ('AA' in Ottawa), and Bradford ('AAA' in Stoney Creek) on their GBSSA titles, giving them an opportunity to experience an OFSAA Basketball Championship. Congratulations also to the Jr teams from Gravenhurst ('A'), St Joseph's ('AA'), and St Joan of Arc ('AAA') on their GBSSA titles. At the time that I wrote this, elementary counties hadn't happened but I am sure we'll owe props to those athletes and coaches too.

And some regrets:
Look, even though I take immense pride in doing a job well, I'd be lying if I said that I was perfect. The very nature of officiating means that you as coach ... or athlete ... or parent ... will have a different perspective of any given play than I do from where I stood, but only one of us has the zebra stripes on with a whistle attached. I prepare as thoroughly and diligently as I can, and while I feel my accuracy is in the high 90's, I've made some calls that retrospection tells me were erroneous.

I will honestly state that I wholeheartedly believe NONE made a difference in the outcome of any of the 62 games, but who can really be sure of the butterfly effect that comes with a mistake here, an no-call there. 

Having said all of that, I can think of 2 times in games with BIG consequences, where my error or no-call did impact the play for a couple of minutes. I regret those times, not because they changed the inevitable outcome ... they honestly DID NOT ... but they definitely super-charged the emotional quotient for a short time. I don't let them become a proverbial "burr under the saddle" because, in the end, players win or lose games, not referees, and I won't beat myself up over things that the participants likely don't even realize I messed up on.

On a related Madness note, I am really looking forward to the 2024 version of March Madness, partly since I will dig out my UNC hoodie (GDTBATH), and partly since I relish in the thrill and excitement the NCAA tournament brings each and every March.

The Madness!

It's nigh upon March and as any hoops fan worth their weight in popcorn will tell you, it's almost the time of the MADNESS ... March Madness, to be specific! The annual basketball love-fest that is the NCAA men's and women's championships means hours pouring over pool predictions, ridiculous side bets, foam finger waving, hoodie wearing, and ass-groove carving on your favourite place to watch the whole affair unfold.

I must admit that I have whiled away many a hour, wearing out the remote buttons as I flip between the various broadcasts in an effort to catch that "One Shining Moment" where a 20-something creates his or her 15 seconds of fame through some Uber-human feat of athleticism that goes viral on social media.

However, the looming of March has another meaning, at least in my home. 

As a BDABO referee, I have enjoyed a front row seat to some pretty gosh darned neat things that the students of Simcoe County have offered up for my fanaticism. This 3rd week of February will feature the culmination of the local basketball leagues when the SCAA champs (public schools) will face the CSASC champs (catholic schools) and MPS champs (far north schools) as they vie for the coveted GBSSA trophy and its gold plated ticket to an OFSAA championship.

As a longtime Barrie area coach, I have been fortunate enough to not only attend an OFSAA championship by securing a GB title (bragging ... 38 GBSSA titles in BB, RUG, SWM), but also won a satisfying number of OFSAA medals (bragging again ... 22 OFSAA medals in BB + RUG), giving me a deep appreciation of how much it means to athletes to have their sacrifices and efforts come to fruition. As a former GBSSA president, secretary, and OFSAA representative, I am astutely cognizant of the ridiculously small percent of all high school athletes that qualify for an OFSAA championship, let alone bring home a medal. During my final years when I was OFSAA representative, it was generally agreed the less than 1% of all high school athletes ever realize that dream.

There are approximately 872 secondary schools in Ontario, housing over 636, 000 students. 

OFSAA hosts 38 provincial championships and 7 festivals in 20 different sports.

You want Madness? THAT, my friends, is MADNESS!
Get off your couch and go watch these kids pour their everything into a chance at beating those odds. 

UPDATE! Here's what happened at the various GBSSA Championships:
Sr AAA Boys - Fri Feb 23rd St Peter's hosted Bradford (Bradford to AAA OFSAA)
Jr AAA Boys - Fri Feb 23rd St Joan of Arc hosted Maple Ridge (Congrats JOA!)
Thu Feb 22nd Nottawasaga Pines SS in Angus hosts the AA Boys GBSSA Championships
Sr AA Boys - Semis: St Joe's v Geo Bay 9:00; N Pines v Bracebridge 10:30
Finals: St Joe's v Notty Pines (St Joe's goes to AA OFSAA in Ottawa Mar 4-6/24)
Jr AA Boys - Semis: St Joe's v Geo Bay 12:00; N Pines v Bracebridge 1:30
Finals: St Joe's v Bracebridge (Congrats STJ!)
Thu Feb 22nd Stayner CI in Stayner will host the A Boys GBSSA Championships
Sr A Boys - Semis: Our Lady of the Bay v Nouvelle 9:00; Stayner v Gravenhurst 10:30
Finals: Our Lady of the Bay vs Stayner (OLB goes to A OFSAA in Welland Mar 4-6/24)
Jr A Boys - Semis: Nouvelle v Gravenhurst 12:00; Our Lady of the Bay v Elmvale 1:30
Finals: Gravenhurst v Elmvale (Congrats Gravenhurst!)

I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to winter in the sunny south for the last few years, meaning that I was out of country during the local GBSSA championships. I decided ... actually, I convinced my skeptical bestie ... that I'd like to be home for them this year so we arrived back in Canada at the beginning of February. I was honoured to have been assigned a number of the SCAA and CSASC playoff games, but I'm scarlet to have been selected to officiate the A Boys GBSSA Championship games for Sr + Jr at Stayner. I'm as giddy as a 3 year old on their birthday!

Yep, at this time of year, it's all about the MADNESS!
*Go Heels Go!

Thanks for the memories!

As Bob Hope famously crooned, "Thanks for the memories ..." and it's fitting to inform all y'all there's been a 'changing of the guard', so to speak, at my little adopted country school, Elmvale District. When I first walked through its front doors nearly two and a half years ago, little did I realize that I would develop such a glorious kinship with the young woman that I interacted with the most, the Operations Assistant, Danielle (Koopmans) Ward. Sadly for all of the staff, the students, and this old wrinkled supply teacher, Danielle has made a lateral transfer within SCDSB to a position that will better suit her personal life by allowing for a 'work from home' scenario, effectively eliminating her daily commute of nearly an hour, and allow her to be more accessible to her own children.

Danielle, to this old fart, is pure gold!

I have been blessed over my years in education with wonderful friendships that I've written about on multiple occasions ... What're ya at? Transitions are a part of life! Legacy complete! ... with a good number of them being those incredible souls in the office. If you have good people in the office, your life as a teacher and administrator becomes immeasurably easier because they smooth out the wrinkles that come with the job.

When I was at Barrie Central, the OA was a sweetheart named Natalie Cooney, an alum who possessed a gleeful disposition, beaming smile, mischievous sense of humour, and a willingness to connect that welcomed everyone with warmth and caring. Over those years, we got up to some shenanigans that allowed for a deeper connection, and I'm proud of the bonds of friendship that were created. She wasn't the only one ... Voula, Karen, Jane, I SEE you all! When Central closed, Natalie her Golden Button was just out of her reach, and she finished her career at the Barrie Learning Center. Although we still 'communicate' via social media, I truly miss that smile and twinkle only available thanks to face to face conversations.

She, quite simply, is good people!!

In finishing up my career at Barrie North, It didn't take long to realize that there was another incredible woman who had been the 'captain of the ship' for a lengthy time. Mary Ellen Tupling was, like Natalie,  also quick with a warm smile, possessed the same mischievous sense of humour, and was easy to like. She too was surrounded by amazing folks like Karen, Liz, and Nancy. Mary Ellen is very likely worthy of the same amount of praise as Natalie, but we just didn't get to share as many adventures 'stamping out the seeds of ignorance'. Still, she quickly became a good friend, and she too has pressed her Golden Button.

Maybe it's in the job description, buried deep in the fine print, that the people in the school's main office have to be incredible humans, because it surely can't be a fluke that so many have crossed paths with me.

Back to the delightful Ms Ward ...

Danielle has many of the similar qualities already attributed in this diatribe to Natalie and Mary Ellen, but the difference of note is that ours was a supply teacher relationship that, IYKYK, is a totally different animal than a RCT. It's a SCDSB rule that those of us on the main supply list have to set our parameters on the supply portal ATE to include four schools. Since I live in Wasaga Beach but 'graduated' from Barrie North, I always set mine to include North (obviously), Elmvale (obviously again), Stayner, and Collingwood, but I have grown a healthy attachment to the students and staff at ol' EDHS, a significant part of which is due to my interactions with Danielle, so I have offered my assistance there most of the past 6 months.

Now don't get me wrong here, North, Stayner and Collingwood are good schools, but for me they aren't great schools, with no sense of longing or negativity intended. I have had some good experiences supplying there, but they didn't measure up to North and Elmvale, and TBH, as the years had ebbed by, I find that I am less drawn to North due to the natural transition of students, staff and admin. In contrast, I honestly really enjoy my visits to EDHS because the staff and students are genuinely welcoming, friendly, and (mostly) cooperative. 

Danielle, from my perspective, you leave a gaping hole in the mechanisms of EDHS, not only from your competency as OA, but also from your generosity as a coach and confidant. Your replacement will face quite the challenge because yours are extra large shoes to fill, and while he/she will bring their own specialness to the task, I'll stand on my soapbox and proclaim to all who will listen that your absence will be noticed! 

Of course I wish you well in your new endeavours! 

Of course I'm happy for you and your family!

I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated our time as we walked the same path!