Pretty cool, do you enjoy reffing? How much different is it from actually just watching the games? Can you still enjoy them without having to pay such attention to penalties, etc.
When I originally got into it, it was just to make some extra cash because I was student teaching. Six years later, and I love it.
I work on a full-time varsity crew, and actually have two or three big games on the schedule this year. I'm a little unhappy with some of the youth leagues I'm working in, but by and large I enjoy doing it even though it can, at times, take up my whole weekend.
As far as enjoying, I'm kind of half and half on it. If I'm watching a high school game - I'm looking at the officials. Watching their mechanics, what they call and what the don't call, and just trying to pick up pointers.
My ultimate goal is to work college, so I try my best to differentiate the high school rules from those rules, and also watching their mechanics. In that case though, it is game by game. From August to beginning of November I don't actually see a lot of college games, so when I can I pick games I want to watch to be entertained by (like say, Texas vs. Ohio State) I watch that game. If it is some bullshit game like Illinois vs. Indiana, I watch the refs.
Again, I'm more than open to the idea of an 'Ask the Ref' thread. I'll say my knowledge of the rules/enforcements isn't the best, but I can say I at least understand why calls are being made.
