* These kids are better than I ever thought they could be at 10, 11, or 12 years old.
* They all have a protective Mother somewhere on the planet earth and she sees everything.
* The Dads come out in force but many are preoccupied with the I-Pads and I-phones.
* There are a lot of type A boys in this division.
* Not all of the boys behave well.
* Not all parents abide by the rules.
* Not all 12 year olds know the rules as well as they think. They do however know how to ask for a linesperson when they think they have been wronged.
* Some parents are great and resent the bad ones.
* The boys love to sit around and compare their achievements. Woe to the one who doesn't win much.
* Its always good to have a great site director. Especially one who knows how to find and order the best pizza in south Dallas.
* Some parents can't tell time--and its their job to do so since the boys can't drive yet.
* Some parents think the rules weren't made for them.
* Some parents love to coach even though they know its wrong. Just think about what they are teaching their kids when they do this.
* Discipline is the responsibility of the parents and not the officials.
* I can't wait to see some of these guys play in college. They are going to be great!
* Its fun to watch them win, lose, and play the game--even though some cry when they start losing.
* Its just a good thing there is an official at every site or no telling what would happen. (Even though I had 12 courts to supervise at the same time...)
* We need to pray daily for all referees in America...
Overall, it was a great experience!
11 comments:
Unfortunately, you won't see these folks play in college. By the time college rolls around for the vast majority of them they will have become burned out, they will have abandoned the game, the game will have abandoned them, their parents will have taken all the fun out of the game, or some 22 year old, foreign, semi-pro, hotshot will have filled Old State/U's tennis roster.
So, do the math for us Randy. You had 12 courts to supervise. So how much money did the TD put into His/her pocket by not hiring enough officials to staff the tournament? And do you think there's any correlation between the number of courts you had and the "involvement", to put it politely, of the parents in what was going on?
I'll get in trouble if you ask my opinion about having one official for 12 courts... We did a survey and the average ratio in Texas is one official for every 11 courts.
It has a DIRECT correlation to the kids behavior and the parents involvement but then I'm not sure we can change it.
The bottom line is how much money they make in a tournament and not the ratio of officials per court.
Sad...
I so relate to your comments! Spend 10 hours at a ZATS on Saturday, mostly 12 year olds, boys and girls. The girls are definitely more difficult than the boys, in my view. And the parents don't necessarily help. I too, am impressed by these kids, who for the most part, are good sports. They will chat between games and are sometimes overly generous with their line calls. 12 courts is a lot to handle all day long, though I was at my location with another ump, who unfortunately for him had to return Sunday. Chair umps have a chair, lines people have a chair and only have to worry about calling some of the lines; but rovers are exhausted by the end of the day - WE SHOULD HAVE SEGWAYS!
I too worked an event this weekend. I found the players and parents to be wonderful. I had zero behavior problems both on and off the court. Met some parents that were great to visit with. (I'm sure this violates some code of conduct!) When I was called on court the players were very receptive to my presence.
And lunch was great!
I too had 12 year old Superchamp boys. I was responsible for 16 courts, but play was cut short by rain. And, I have now learned that the proper out call is not "out" but rather " Out - Let's Go!"
I too worked a ZAT tournament this weekend as Sports Ambassador. The kids AND parents were great! I walked the facility many times and saw very few situations. BTW, the Officials did a good job (three officials for 36 courts).
Here is an idea, make sure the Referee knows you are “not for hire” if you have to cover more than 6-8 courts! Seems to me - if the Referees are taught this (or understand how much of problem it is) at the schools, they would make life easier for ALL - including the players and parents and tell these SUPER RICH tournament directors to increase the monies for MORE officials. If enough people say they will not work more than 6-8 courts – then what are the TD’s going to do?
PLEASE DON'T TELL ME… “that is just the way it is...” ESPECIALLY if you live in DFW, Austin, SAntonio, or the Houston area you have PLENTY Officials - YOU make the choice to work or not to work - NOT them!
- BACO
Hey Randy.
Where's the blog topic on the BIG GAME saturday??
I bet you're gald you had a major zonal to keep you away from the tv. Boy, was that an ass-whipping or what??
Hello,
Congratulations on officiating such a tournament.
It is not possible to officiate 12 courts by one official, not even with a helicopter view and teleportation powers.
That you have TDs staffing officials at this ratio is a disgrace to junior tennis;
how do you Tejas Gurus put up with this? Do you make $500 a day? So no need to share? Or is it $100 and bim bam thank you mam?
Yeah we don't see a lot of news about Randy's beloved horns lately because they have been sucking up the football field. Good thing they are staying in the Big 12. They may actually be able to win a couple of games.
It is indeed true that my beloved 'Horns sucked this past Saturday--and might even suck again this coming Saturday but in time, they will be good again. After all, there is a new McCoy and Shipley duo.
Speaking of sucking, either Baylor or A&M will be the one doing the sucking this Saturday. I'm not sure which will lose but I'm sure there will be a huge sucking sound in College Station next year when they start playing in the SEC...
Post a Comment