How to become a basketball referee?

You'll need to jab your eyes with thumbtacks.

 

I ref'd through TASO for 3 seasons. Ref'n Jr. High is hell. They will start you at the bottom (Jr. High). You have no idea how bad the first game of the season for 6th grade girls can be. Its rugby.

I personally quit after two big incidents.

a) I fouled out the star girls player at Westfield HS in the first half. The female coach cussed me out. I ignored her. Her star player played reckless defense, she deserved to be fouled out. The coach must have called her boyfriend/husband up to the school during the tournament. Dude, came up to me after the next game trying to fight me for disrespecting his woman, lol.

b) I ref'd Kingwood girls vs Nimitz girls, Varsity game. The Kingwood girls blew Nimitz out the building. Total blowout! The parents of the Nimitz girls followed me out to my car, cussing me out, calling me racist, and just being stupid. One of the fathers kicked my car door shut when I tried to get in my car. I had like 7 parents circle me, as if a beat down was going to happen. I snapped!! I threatened to kill the next person to get in my face. I figured the only way out is to act crazier than them (I was 24 at the time). I got a tire tool out of my trunk as I was putting my bag away. A few more words thrown, and finally I was able to leave. Took around 15 mins just to get in my car. I called and quit the next day. The paycheck wasnt worth me killing a MOFO.

 

that is pretty amazing.. thanks for giving me reasons to stay away

 

Sell your soul to David Stern.

 

ya i did TASO for two years too. I stopped when i moved for school.

It was definitely an interesting experience. I was around 21 then.

The worst part was not knowing whether your partner was going to show up. Nothing worse than trying to ref an entire game for juniors by yourself.

when you have a good partner and a decently flowing game (kids who don't foul every 3 secs)..then it's not bad..

but boy it can get ugly quick. this one time this coach wouldnt shut up. every call that was made..he made a loud remark about it..crowd laughed. so he kept going. so then he got in my face for something and i said coach sit your ass down. i shouldnt have but i lost my cool.

then he got even louder and it became a big mess.

 

why didn't you T him up after the first few loud remarks? Or when he got in your face? Or both?

 

FYI, every game on the Jr High and High School level is being taped. After the game, you can have the higher ups review the tape. If something is not right, someone has a chance to get punished. It could be the refs, the kids, the coaches, or the parents. Refs and coaches could lose their jobs. Kids could get disiplined within the district. Parents get warrants for their arrests, if it gets physical.

If you "T" up a kid, it will get reviewed. If you "T" up a coach. Both you and the coach have to go to the school board. Its a long dragged out progess. Basically the coach has more risk, as if they lose their job it effects their career. If a ref gets fired, its usually just a part time job, so no huge problem.

 

You can get the gear from Academy or Sports Authority

 

You should make your own.

 

I have the same question, I was googleing how to be a basketball ref and this thread popped up lol. But I have a question, what's a TASO chapter? And how do u find a local TASO chapter?

 

Gotta be a gambler first. Work in Vegas.

 

I did basketball and football after college, it was nice $$$$...never had the same problems as 111 above......maybe it was because I was in Austin.

A good buddy of mine is now doing college games, he gets $600=$800 per game, and expenses.

DD

 

how? who do u contact?

 

I find if funny that you googled to find this thread, but didn't google TASO?

 

Mine was 20 years ago, probably a lot has changed since then....I just sent my pal an email....I will post his response here.

DD

 

Tim. Donaghy.