All right.  It’s come to this.  I need to be put in time out.  Last night I joked about refereeing from the stands.  But, as I reflect, it really isn’t funny.  Pretty sad really.  I watch these games and it is like I become somebody else.  Though even as a kid watching games on TV I remember scaring our family dog by my outbursts.  I guess that should have been a warning sign.  The question is why does one become so emotionally invested in athletic contests, especially when they involve your kids?  Here are some thoughts:

1. I know how hard my kids work at this.  When their efforts are negated by inept officiating, as a parent my impulse is to want to advocate for them.
2. I have played, coached, and refereed.  There is a prideful part of me that thinks I can do it better.  Those referees would probably be glad to hand me their whistle and tell me to prove it.
3.   As the parent of seniors, you see the clock ticking and realize you only have so many more of these moments with your kids.  You want them to be positive.
4. No matter how much we try to fight it, as parents we to some degree live vicariously through our kids.  We shouldn’t.  But we do.  Some of us probably more than others.  In some twisted way, if they we, we win.

At the end of the day these referees are providing a valuable service that allows our kids to play organized sports.  They don’t get paid much for it, certainly with the abuse they take.  They are human, and this is not their day job.  They deserve a lot more grace than I give them.

And, oh yeah.  My son earns a paycheck every weekend refereeing youth basketball.  I probably should treat other referees the way I would want parents to treat him.