i think referees have gotten used to ignoring your direction signals anyway, so it wasn’t that much of a problem. Or is that just your son?
You must have check my age in my profile. My wife (who is 5 years younger) has had flu-like symptoms. No issues for me. My u15 game went fairly easy; 2 YCs, 1 PK, 3-2 final. I tried to use a mask and electronic whistle. My glasses fogged up about the second minute; mask to my pocket (not required during play). After my second accidental whistle, I put the electronic whistle in my bag (too big for my pocket) and went with my Fox40.
Did a few youth games today - first matches since fall. Easy games and decent weather made for an enjoyable afternoon. Had a very young and freshly certified AR on one, so got to do a little nurturing to get her through her first match. Even had a couple of parents say before one match, "We're so glad when you do our games!" If only the HS parents could be so hospitable... edit: Also had a live virtual clinic including Esse Baharmast talking about 2021-22 handball revisions. I really like his conversational style of presenting. Of his many entertaining quips, I lol'd over some parents questioning his ball in/out calls on his 10 yr old child's match after having had 30-something WC appearances... evidently, the Coach hollered, "you might want to google him before opening your mouths...." They did. "Ohhhhh!!!!" Then at their request, he ended up giving parents a mini-clinic on the Laws at halftime.
Reminds me of Bob Evans' story about his first game after receiving his FIFA badge. U14_+ as I recall. "No wonder he's doing such a poor job! He doesn't even have the right badge!" (Just a paraphrase, but you get the picture.)
Re: vaccines. Got my 2nd dose of Moderna on Friday around lunchtime. Much more of a sore arm than the 1st time. I could lift my flag just fine as AR for my two games Friday night, but carrying stuff or reaching up to grab something hurt. I also couldn't roll over onto that side of my body to sleep. Woke up with a 99.5 temperature yesterday morning (I've been taking my temperature every morning for months and am consistently between 97.0 and 97.9), still some arm soreness, but feeling fine otherwise. Today my temperature was back down to normal. Now I'm tired, but that's only because I had 11 games in three days.
You've earned that tired. This week, I have four high school varsity games and a two day college track meet, which is two hours away.
https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2021/0...zRksMS209PrD7uaBcCxuPyfv79TJzPSaTU4mnDxGdCL2k Working as COVID-19 nurse changed Brazilian referee’s outlook Mar 27, 2021
My best story of the week was that I got to do my first college game since November 2019 on Sunday! While I have done duals in high school and solo indoor soccer games since then, this was the first time I have done the DSC since then. Even though I was only AR2, it was awesome to be back out on the field doing "real" soccer with "real" officiating system! Of course, the stadium was empty because of COVID so I didn't have any fans yelling at me. The weird part of the game was getting on campus, which usually has multiple entrances. There was only one way to get in. I had to fill out paperwork saying that I didn't have any symptoms. While waiting for the car in front of me, I put down my window. I heard the car beep behind me and the rider yell, "Awesome bumper sticker!" There are not many Tedeschi Trucks Band fans out there, but I found around!
So I got the honor of working a 25 minute 'extra period' of the Dynamo vs Louisville City pre-season game. There wasn't much in it, 3 fouls (1 would have been a yellow), 3 goals, and 1 Tab Ramos being concerned that we didn't have any time on the field to warmup (we did it in the tunnel).
Finally got back on the field this past weekend after my fall season ended prematurely due to a COVID quarantine (player in a game I officiated tested positive, so I had to stay in the house for 14 days, and then didn't want to risk that happening again and missing more work). It was 40 degrees, driving rain, the combined score in the two games was 16-0, but man it was good to be working again. I am still in midseason form in pointing the wrong way on my first decision coming out of halftime, too.
U17 boys game. In the second half one of the forwards for red was bent over catching his breath. His teammate asked him what was wrong and I kid you not the player responded with one single word: "Yäger"
My daughter was always bemused, not being that much older than the players, when she did U-19 girls teams where the players brought their kids to the game.
or like I had one time where a girl (U-19s to be precise) ask to leave the field of play to calm her crying daughter.
I had a couple milestones in my most recent game. Living in a college town, I often work with referees younger than me. For a couple other clubs the next state over, I am often the old guy mentoring rookie centers, or centering with ARs not yet ready to center. In a local JV girls/boys doubleheader, At 52 I was the youngest of the three person crew. The other two are 60 and 66. I wanted to take a picture documenting it, but the other two declined. Even when I started at 45, I don't recall ever having the other two in a DSC older than me. In the boys game (the same one where I started the thread about shinguards and carding the coach) there were five yellows and two reds. One for VC, the other for DOGSO-H. The defender just swatted the ball away from the goal with no one behind him. I was AR1 and have never had that many RCs, nor that many total cards in a game before.
I’m 57 and I was the oldest on every game I did. I’ve done two playoff games in the last week as AR1 with a 20 year old CR who also happens to be a USSF Regional ref. Our chapter is in a college town and is made up of a combination of young college students and guys 45 and up. The old guys stay the same and the young ones turn over every year.
20 year old regional? He's really making strides. I won't be surprised to see him on the national or pro lists in the next few years.
Second day of high school games in 70 degree weather. Besides missing just being out on the field doing games, I've realized how much I missed working with my referee friends. Yesterday, I worked with a long time friend for the third time in two weeks. He asked if the assignor was having me check up on him. The assignor is his wife.