I'm gaining a sense of humor
Or should I say, I'm gaining a greater sense of humor, or is it arrogance? Maybe it's experience - yeah, that's it. :)In my final game on Monday night, I couldn't help but smile a few times during the game because, and it usually is these types, one of the players who played the most aggressive kepting giving me "the stare." I think he was trying to psyche me out, but I was so amused (and showing it), I think he tried a different tactic. He came up to me late in the first half, and (rather nicely) said, "if you don't start calling those picks, I'm going to run straight through them." It was rather odd, because I gathered from his style of play that first off, he seemed the type to just go through them; after all, if he's being "picked" and they're not withing playing distance of the ball, he has every right to. But even moreso, I hadn't noticed it, and it's hard to do that type of thing subtlely.
So, I replied to him saying I'd watch out for it, but if they're within playing distance of the ball, they have the right to shield him from it. A few minutes later, I see him, in a battle for the ball, give an opponent a shove. Oppoenent comes up with the ball, so no foul, but I issue another comment to him, that if I'm watching for fouls to be committed against him, I'm just as likely to see fould committed by him. After that, no more stares, no more fouls, just a good game.
In a totally different scenario last night; playing first game in co-ed rec league in the other part of town... and we had a real referee. OK, not that other leagues don't, but I'm probably the only certified (high school and/or USSF) ref doing the games for this unaffiliated league. But we not only had a ref, we had the one of the referee association brass - did a nice job too (good thing!).