There are No Lousy Games to Work

From time to time I hear Referees complain about a "lousy game" they worked. Or that they got a "lousy schedule," meaning they did not get games with schools of high caliber, of competition or prestige as they esteem their Referee skills or stature deserve......

Such comments are rather self-aggrandizing and just a bit objectionable, it would seem to me.

My personal Referee Philosophy includes, "Any game, Anytime, Anywhere." I just plain like to referee high school basketball! Sometimes it is a the small schools in old, unique gyms, that turn out to be the most memorable games to work.

And "Work every game like it is a State Championship."

I learned the later from one of Arizona's most esteemed High School Referees. Fritz Goreham. Fritz must be close to 100 years old by now (he claims 70 something, I think) and he is still out Refereeing games! The AIA presents an Annual Award to the Outstanding High School Referee designated as 'The Fritz Goreham Award'. So Fritz knows how to Referee!!

"WPSD CEO Steven Farmer talks with referee" photo by David Fulmer via Flickr

If anyone would have the "right" to complain about getting a 'Lousy' game it would have been Fritz......

Many years ago in my fledgling Referee Career, I had only recently been promoted to be a Certified Varsity Referee, which mean I was making more "Bad Calls" than I made "Good Calls". Fritz was accustomed to working State Championships and the top games each week with only the best Referee partners. Not guys like me.

This one nite, however, he was assigned ME as his partner for a game that matched a powerhouse team against a school in it's first year of opening. That meant the new school had only freshmen & Sophomores playing a Varsity schedule.

It was obvious this game would be lopsided. Clearly it would qualify as what many Referees would deem a "lousy game with a lousy Referee Partner."

In the Dressing Room for our Pre-Game Routine Fritz commented about the mismatch in team abilities with the almost certain probability it would be a "Blow Out" game and added, "But Vic, we're gonna work this game to the best of our ability as if it was the State Championship! The kids from each team deserve the best Referee effort we can give them. And that is what we are gonna give them!."

If it was a good enough philosophy for Fritz then, it was good enough for me now!

The final score was 70-1. The 1 point came on a Free Throw on a Foul I called with 11 seconds left in the game.

Walking to the Dressing Room Fritz said to me, "Vic, that last foul you called was one of the worst foul calls I've ever seen." Oh great, I was thinking. The legend of AZ High School Basketball thinks I not only blew a call but that it was one of the worst calls he's ever seen......

And then he added,"And it was one of the BEST Foul Calls I've ever seen. I sure did not want the game to end as a shut out. I was looking for something I could call, so I'm glad you called it to give the other team a chance to score!" So I can now take credit for the WORST- BEST Foul call Fritz has ever seen. I'll Take it!
Thanks Fritz!

"Any Game, Anywhere, Any time."

"Work each game as if it was a State Championship."

Come On, Ref 

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