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.