Respect...Plain & Simple!

Respect can and does go a LONG way in any environment, arena or in life itself.

Respect is defined as:  1. esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability. 2. to show regard or consideration for.

Some say to get respect, you have to give respect.  I agree with this cliché, in that if you show respect for me, I’ll definitely show respect for you…or vice versa. 

This weekend’s AAU tournament, 7 games on Saturday.  10 total hours in the gym….nothing but total respect for all players, coaches and parents/fans…not a single issue! (to good to be true you ask? I guess I jinxed myself for even thinking it could happen two days in a row).

Sunday rolls around(6 games on the schedule), and for those of you who have/do officiate AAU tournaments, you know that Sunday is championship tournament play…and it seems like someone purposely puts SOMETHING in the water, because some people tend to lose their natural mind it seems!

So here we go……

Sunday’s 2^nd contest, a team from a noted urban area of Michigan is getting ready to play a team from a suburb of a suburb (you get what I’m saying).  The urban team is loud, boisterous, and I’m sure attempting to intimidate the other team before the game even starts.  The coach of the team walks by me and my partner and loudly says to her asst. coach ( I’m sure so we could hear her), “they better call a good game today”.  My partner and I look at each other as to say “WTH”..…lol  Neither of us looked her way, nor did we say anything in response.

The game begins, and the urban team is pressing, and trying to create havoc by speeding up the tempo, etc.  My partner and I both call fouls on this team, along with a few traveling violations, etc.  So I’m running down the court in front of her bench and she loudly says “why yall calling all of that bull?”.   I blow my whistle, walk over to her bench and here is what took place:

Me: Coach, here’s how this is going to work today…(she immediately cuts me off)

Coach: I aint even talkin to you, there’s a game goin on

Me: No game going on, I stopped this contest for a reason (again she cuts me off)

Coach:  go on back out there and do your job (and sucks her teeth...REALLY??)

Me:  Again, this is how it’s going to work today…and you’re going to let me speak and listen to what I have to say, or you are going to find yourself getting text message updates from the parking lot or wherever…..

Me: I do NOT want to hear you:

a)      Make another call as if you are officiating this game, OR hear another complaint about a call… let me do what I do.. (she tries to interrupt me and I put a stop to that quickly)

b)      Do NOT let the word “better” come out of your mouth in respect to what I need to be doing out here again… (you better call this, you better do that, etc)

c)       I’m going to show you enough respect to allow you to finish coaching your team this morning, AND you’re going to show me enough respect to officiate this contest without all of the unnecessary drama

d)      Consider this your one and only warning, thank you!

The game starts and almost immediately I have to call a foul on her team…I blow the whistle and look directly at her and report the foul to the table (seeing if she’s going to act a fool….NOPE, not a peep!). 

A few minutes later, two of the girls, one on each team, are becoming very physical..so I warn both of them to “cease the nonsense and play basketball ladies”.  Not a minute later, the girl from the urban team throws a punch into the back of the girl…not thinking I could see her do it.  I blow my whistle and immediately eject her from the game (flagrant technical)…..I walk over to the coach and explain what happened and why she was ejected.

 Coach: (yells angrily): “you gotta toss her too, she foulin and carrying on”

 Me: “what did I tell you earlier about telling me how to do my job?”……BANG…issued her a Technical. 

Game ends with no more drama, and her team wins handily.  They walk by my partner and I and don’t say a word, probably because they had no idea which court their championship game will be played on J.

 

Now in all fairness, this same camp/program/organization had a few different teams in the tournament.  Two games later we had their older team, and the 2 coaches could not have been any more professional and respectful to us doing our jobs.

 

It all boils down to respect….. You show respect, you get respect…..plain and simple!!

Job Opportunities

Key word here is JOB!

Sometimes my understanding of some of today’s youth escapes me beyond my own comprehension!  In an era where it seems that job opportunities are at a premium, why in the world would someone just NOT show up for a job interview?  Understandably, other opportunities may have presented themselves, and one can/should do what’s best for that individual at that period in time.

 

For those that do show up for the opportunity, what ever happened to the basic interviewing skills/techniques of:

Ø  Dress for success (this does NOT include a “hoody” with another school’s name/logo)

Ø  Eye contact (this does NOT include looking down at your shoes/hands/cell phone almost the entire time)

Ø  Preparation (this does NOT include the phrase “what type of work is this again??”)

Ø  Speaking clearly (this does NOT included the phrase “fo real fo real” numerous times!!!  Or mumbling to the point where one has to actually ask you to SPEAK UP!!!)

Ø  Complete answers to MY questions to you (this does NOT include the phrases “you know what I’m sayin?) …No I do NOT know what you’re saying (there is a G on the end), or (“You know what I mean?”)…No sir, I need YOU to tell me what YOU mean!

Ø  Show up on TIME! (this does NOT include showing up 26 minutes late saying “I thought it was at 9:30am, when YOU selected and scheduled the time yourself)

Ø  Thanking for the opportunity to interview (this does NOT include the parting phrase of “Aiiight…peace!”)…Seriously??...LOL

 

As the old saying goes:  Time is money, and money is time….you might waste yours, but please don’t waste mine!

My 12 minutes of fame…

As a lot of you already know, Kelsey and I were in a commercial for the local cable company, promoting the Winter Olympics.  I don’t condone the company’s decision to not carry NBC, nor am I a fan of the Winter Games, but the opportunity presented itself and we did it.  Little did I know that almost every gym that I went into to referee for a few weeks, someone would mention the commercial…or ask, “Hey, aren’t you the guy in that commercial?”..or  “can I have your autograph?”  (now what would they actually do if I whipped out a pen and was ready to sign my name on whatever it was that they had handy??...LOL

One evening a former vendor of mine was there watching his son play, and gets my attention.  We converse for a bit and he asked me “isn’t that you in that buckeye cable commercial?”  I answered and we chatted for a little more, not thinking anything of it.  So towards the middle of the 2^nd quarter, I go over to the table to ask how many time outs each team has left, and an older gentleman looks at me and says “you’re a better actor than you are a referee!”  I was stunned that he:

a). had the nerve to say it to me out loud

b). thought he was funny

c). didn’t expect me to reply I guess…

I looked him in the eye can calmly asked him “what did I ever do to you?”  I repeated myself again…”what did I ever do to you?”  I could see the expression on his face was one of “hmmm what just happened here”.

Before the start of the 2^nd half, the same gentleman motions me over and says to me, “hey, I was only kidding with you, I thought it would be funny and you’d get a kick out of it”.

 I replied to him, “it was kind of funny actually…lol” and blew my whistle and started the 2^nd half.

After the game the Athletic Director asked me “what did that guy say to you?”  I told him what had transpired, and he looks at me and says…”That is you in that commercial, I thought you looked familiar when I saw it!  I told my wife I know that guy from somewhere”….LOL

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

Ejection Reflection….

 

So last night I had to eject a coach for the first time in a “real”/Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) sanctioned game(I’ve tossed a few during summer leagues/AAU)…and it went a little something like this….HIT IT (Tone Loc..Funky Cold Medina…lol)

 

Me:  Coach, your player is close to getting a Technical if he keeps chirpin

Coach:  Screams…..What the hell did he do? Did he pull a single hair off his head?...Oh you wouldn’t know anything about that!!

Me: Whistle blast…..issuing a technical for disrespecting the game by yelling and cursing, AND for thinking you’re a comedian…funny guy!

I go over to the table and report the incident as I am required to do; I then proceed over to the coach to give him “the speech”.

 

Me: Coach please take a seat on the bench, you must remain seated for the remainder of the contest with the exception of time outs or injury requiring you to check on a player on the floor.

Coach: I’m not sitting down

Me: Coach, please take a seat

Coach:  This is Bull$#!*

Me: blast my whistle even LOUDER now…I issue the 2^nd technical and inform the table and athletic director that the coach is disqualified for the remainder of the contest, and must leave the confines of the gym.

Coach: We’ll TALK after the game

Me: Really coach??, you’re going to threaten me right out here on the floor in front of everyone??  Get off floor please!

Coach: I’ll see you after the game

Me: I see you now…LEAVING the gym…lol ….now who’s laughing??

 

The game concludes, and I proceed off the floor into the official’s locker room.  I hear commotion at the door, and the AD and Varsity coach have to restrain the JV coach from trying to enter…seriously??  I casually turn to them and say “let him in”….LOL   they refused to oblige though!

 

Another official doing the next games says to me, “that was the calmest ejection that I have ever seen in my life”….lol

I am now required to complete and submit and Ejection form online!!….do I get paid extra for this administrative time I have to put in for some hot head that thought he was funny??  Pretty sure he’s not laughing today!!

 

Another Season is upon us

Basketball season is almost upon us, and I can honestly say that I am a happy camper!

Not only do I enjoy the extra $$, the physical workout and the comradely with "most" of my fellow officials, but I also enjoy that aspect of the game where I can/should potentially be able to make a difference in someone’s life.

A lot of officials can be heard stating, “Oh, I don’t do junior high, freshman/JV or CYO games anymore, just strictly varsity games”.  To this I say “to each his/her own”, but it’s bigger than that for me. 

Yes I have my share of upper level/varsity games (and I do enjoy the fast paced, more skilled competition and the challenges that come along with it), but I also make it a point to take my share of the lower level games, in which the kids usually aren’t as skilled at this juncture, but it gives the coaches, AND officials a chance to make a positive difference in possibly getting these young athletes to that upper level one day.

Now only if only some of the parents (that makes these games miserable for others around them, or worse yet, trying to live vicariously through their child) would understand that some kids just aren’t skilled enough to ever be a great player....but that doesn’t mean that child doesn’t enjoy the game, or can’t help his/her team win by consistently having a positive attitude, giving everything that they have and accepting their role on the team (limitations and all). 

 For those parents that get it, and attend the games and are positive win or lose….I applaud you!  For the others….well let’s just say don’t exhibit those traits that make you a $5 genius (pay $5 to get in and feel they know EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING….aka acting a FOOL), because receiving text message score updates out in the parking lot is not nearly as fun as being INSIDE watching!! Hit me one time……..(insert whistle sound - C-YA!!)….LOL   

Thanks for taking the time to read the rhetoric in which I display my opinions.

The Big 5.0 Milestone.....

 

In a little over a month, this guy will be reaching the milestone age of 5.0!

When I was 18, 50 seemed SOOOO old!

When I was 21, I didn’t even think about 50!

When I was 25, I can’t even remember what I was thinking!

When I was 30, 50 began to seem somewhat realistic because 40 was nearing!

When I was 40, 50 became the new 40…LOL

 

Now that I am on the cusp of turning 50, I am so VERY THANKFUL to have been blessed to grace this earth for 50 years!  I can honestly say that physically I am probably in better shape now than I was when I was 25-45.  YES there are days when I feel my age (after working out, then washing and waxing my vehicle…THEN working in the yard for hours)…What am I saying about feeling old…heck I probably couldn’t have even done that in my 30’s to be honest…LOL

They say you are only as old as you feel…well in that case, I certainly don’t feel almost 50!  My workout routine keeps me relatively healthy; having family & friends that loves and supports my efforts (although sometimes they get on me to TRY to RELAX) makes the transition to the big 5.0 much easier.  

I’m sure there are those out there that fret reaching 50....but God has blessed me to be here this long…why would I ever fret that??  Embrace & rejoice!

 

October 27, 2013….Las Vegas for the 50^th Anniversary of the day John L. & Gloria C. Brooks welcomed their 2^nd son.