Seasons Change!

With the end of one comes another….

With the conclusion of the OHSAA (Ohio High School Athletic Assoc.) basketball season, comes more time to spend with family, friends and working out in the gym (yes really!).   Being gone sometimes 5-6 nights a week is rewarding physically and financially (yes sometimes its grueling also), but it leaves something to be desired when you miss out on time with your family/children.

 I’ve pushed myself to make it to Kelsey’s dance class, swimming classes, etc..but there were a lot of time when I had to tell her that I couldn’t make it. L.  I thank my wife(Kristin G. Brooks) for being so flexible & supportive with my schedule (as she now truly understands by officiating OHSAA & Travel volleyball, the demands of being a good official….lol) enabling me to be available.  I thank all of the partners that I’ve worked with this past season, some make it more enjoyable than others, but nonetheless we are all officials and subject to the same criticisms of the coaches and $5 geniuses (the fans that pay $5 and think they know EVERYTHING..lol).

With the end of that season, comes the beginning of the AAU/Summer camps season. There are LOTS of games between March – August believe it or not, and the opportunity to work on my game (mechanics, conditioning, etc.)  I usually try to select something specific that I want to work on, and make a concerted effort to improve that aspect of my work in order to become even better during the next OHSAA season.  Last year it was conditioning (down over 30 lbs from the previous year) and stopping the clock before signaling a held/jump ball.

 YES, there is plenty of $$ out there on the table during the AAU/Summer camps season, and I’m not opposed to getting my share (No comment Kenneth Penn Sr….LOL), but the comradely between officials during this time of year makes this profession absolutely FUN!  There have been days on the court where I literally have tears in my eyes from laughing at this or that (Reggie Murphy, Kenny Penn, Randy Patterson, Teddy Jenkins, D.Myles, etc.)  We travel near and far blowing the whistle, cementing friendships, making $$ and hopefully helping the players develop their games in the Right way. 

It’s absolutely true that the tolerance level with some of the so called coaches isn’t as lenient as it is during the OHSAA season (there are no suspensions, fines, or paperwork to file for throwing a coach out of the game in AAU), so most officials tighten up the strings with respect to what we will put up with.

Who knows, maybe I’ll see you in a gym this spring or summer J