I've never been a basketball referee, but my first job at age 12 was umpiring little league baseball games. Like any other officiating position, it's a thankless job. Regardless of your performance and consistency, coaches and fans constantly berate your calls.
Fortunatlely, I was actually known as one of the best umps in our system, especially behind the plate. I tended to have a larger strike zone than most because I expected these young kids, most of them under the age of ten, to swing the bats - a point I made sure was emphasized during the traditional pre-game meeting between managers and umpires.
The head of umpires told me he frequently received compliments regarding my officiating from both coaches and parents, which meant a great deal (regardless of how they showed their "gratitude" during games
). But the highest compliment I ever received came from one of the most well-known little league managers in our district. He was loud, boisterous and thoroughly enjoyed giving it to the umpires at every opportunity. I was behind the plate for one of his team's games, and late in the contest, one of his players took a called strike, stepped out of the box and looked squarely at the coach ... who proceeded to throw up his hands and proclaim (for everyone to hear), "What are you looking AT ME for? He's been calling that a strike ALL DAY!"
I chuckled, because all umpires strive for consistency. From my perspective, that comment seemed to validate my effort to be the best.
