For longtime followers this is the 100th post. I appreciate you following along and all the great feedback you give me.
I was recently asked how I started officiating football? What is my backstory? This seems like the time to share this with you.
Before I go there, first let me point out that I have deliberately remained anonymous. Some of you know who I am, but most do not. You notice I never mention my name, the teams by name, nor do I mention any other official or coach I work with. I believe I can make this interesting without those particular details, and after 100 posts, no one has ever asked or made a comment about not having these facts. I choose to use this approach so I can be a bit more open about what I say. After all this is named Confessions of an American Football Referee. I've only been challenged once on a statement I made -- I'm still right, by the way.
Flash Way Back
I only played football during my sophomore and junior years in high school. During my sophomore season I started out as a fullback and middle linebacker. I ended-up as an offensive pulling guard. This is where I earned my nickname "caveman".
One day I forgot my socks at practice. One of the coaches says, "damn Wood, you have more hair on you legs than I do. You're a friggin caveman." It was true... kinda still is, but now its migrated to my back.
During this sophomore season I played, started a few games, but mostly worked very hard.
Our coach said he just needed eleven guys who really wanted to play and the rest of you can go home. The guys who work the hardest will be the starters. I believed him. During the summer I decided I was going to make Varsity. My friends laughed at me.
I was the first one in the weight room and the last one to leave. I did all the running he asked, I worked hard, I never spoke back, and I pushed myself. I never gave-up.
The day before our first game my junior season our coach says to the entire team, "I found my first player." And he says my name. My coach kept his promise. I had pushed a senior out of the position and now I was starting Varsity. During season he and I battled back and forth for the position and I think I started half the games. I can fill pages with interesting stories from this single season. Perhaps later.
I did not play football as a senior. This is something I now deeply regret, which deserves explaining some other time.
After I graduated I coached Freshman football for two seasons. I had a blast. This was 1985.
For a dozen years, I had nothing to do with the game of football other than watching games on TV and perhaps going to a UCLA game once a year.
Flash Forward
Now it's 1997. I am new in town, my ex-wife and I are separated, and I'm pretty much alone. The pastor at the church I was attending happened to be a football official and asked if I would be interested in being a referee. I missed the game, had nothing better to do, so why not. the season had already started, so I could not work any games. But I went and asked if I could work on the chain crew.
When I joined the association the pastor arranged it so I could be assigned to his crew. This was very beneficial for me because I had more access to my crew-chief and I could ask more questions. And I asked a lot of questions. And just like in high school, I worked very hard and worked every game I possibly could. Some weekends I would work 12 games.
I was lucky (right place/right time), as is often the case with officiating, when one of the varsity crew members became injured. This opened a spot and I was promoted to the varsity crew my second season (typically it take five seasons). When the injured crew member returned, the pastor said I had earned the spot and it was mine.
Between 1998-2006 I worked two-three seasons of Youth football, but finally stopped. The parents are out of control. The money is good, but not worth the headache. And, of course, I continued to work high school.
I could fill another 100 posts with stories about things that happened during these eight seasons. On of the best things about officiating are the "you remember that game when..." Maybe during the off-season I'll share some of these. I think you'll fine many of them interesting.
Today
2007 brings us to Confessions of an American Football Referee. If you have not done so, go back to the beginning and catch-up.
I still have a college game from last week to report on. I applied some Friday night rules with Saturday rules, and I still need to explain my new nickname - twinkle toes.
No high school games this weekend, but the college game pits two teams ranked in the top 10 in the state.
