In Part I, I painted a compelling picture of why you should officiate. Between the rewards and the blessings, it seems an easy decision. Anybody with two feet and half that many brain cells should run right out and buy a Fox 40. Many of us already have.
But any endeavor, no matter how rewarding, has its intrinsic costs. Melinda M. Marshall may as well have been talking to officials when she said:
I acknowledge that the balance I have achieved between work and family roles comes at a cost, and every day I must weigh whether I live with that cost happily or guiltily, or whether some other lifestyle entails trade-offs I might accept more readily. It is always my choice: to change what I cannot tolerate, or tolerate what I cannot — or will not — change.
What are the costs of officiating?
- It takes games, games, and more games to get good. The good news is that, especially at the lower levels, there is a great need for officials. The bad news is that, especially at the lower levels, there is a great need for officials. During the season, it is often possible to work six or seven days a week. Assignors prefer officials who are extraordinarily available.
Continued...
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