Author’s Note: This was started almost a month ago after completing a weekend in Atlantic City, NJ. Since that weekend a lot of things have happened in my world. I needed to guard my energy and protect it from the blitzkrieg of chaos in the news. I’ve had to navigate the changes in Carroll Township, Washington County leadership and their communications. The PA West Futsal season has wrapped up. The local futsal league had some struggles with team retention due to competition. The local futsal league had issues due to rental agreements that allowed competition despite being under the same ownership umbrella. The PA West Outdoor Referee world changed it’s path forward. Change is good, not everybody will turn pro and we remember always need to create two pathways to development. Pros in life and pros on the pitch. After further review and no more delay here’s what’s been simmering for about a month.
Let’s just say the week after President’s Day was a perfect chance for some rest, recovery and reset.
After a long President’s Day Weekend in Atlantic City NJ, officiating US Futsal’s NorthEast Regional Tournament rest was a priority. The weekend of futsal limited me to 4 hours of sleep a night. Since there were 1100 games on 20 courts and only 80 referees there were only 3 break times per day. If you opened the court at 7:30 a.m.–you also closed the court at 11:30 p.m. if everything stayed on time. Lunch and dinner were delivered in turkey sub or pizza form and all other meals were protein powder,. The good news is the tournament was indoors. Only short sleeve green and blue uniforms were needed and no cold weather gear or snow shoes. Considering we departed Pittsburgh on Thursday afternoon and didn’t finish working games in Atlantic City until Monday at 2 p.m it was a long weekend. Upon arriving back home late Monday, it was a perfect excuse to take a few days to recover. Phoebe and Crawford were part of the rest team.
The drive home from NJ to Aspinwall on Monday night was quick but long. After pacing over 13 miles a day on the plastic courts my legs were very tired. To avoid cramping they needed walked every 90 minutes. We stopped at the Farley for gas and Starbucks. We then stopped outside Philly on the PA Turnpike for dinner and a driver switch. I couldn’t do the whole drive back home so I needed a pinch driver for around 90 miles. Then we stopped at Midway before 8 p.m. to get the last Starbucks and some food before all the good rest stops closed down. The legs appreciated the stretching and the bladder needed the bathroom breaks.
If you’ve ever worked a tournament you know that housing is really only a bed for sleep. The accommodations inside the Showboat Hotel-Waterpark and Casino were a throwback to 80’s casino meets Great Wolf Lodge. Donald’s Taj Mahal is now a HardRock run by the Seminole right behind Cesar’s, Harrah’s and Tropicana. Once Pennsylvania legalized casinos the last nail went into the Atlantic City coffin. There is a giant step down between AC, NJ and LV, NV. There is no Cirque du Soleil Show and there is no Sphere. It’s a minor league baseball town at best.
One nice thing about a regional futsal tournament is all.the diversity. It’s not often I get a test of my foreign language skills. I can say I had several moments where there was more than English and Spanish. On my games I identified– English, Spanish, Portuguese and French.
Among the arbitro team were FIFA Futsal Referees from Central America. My roomate for the weekend was a former FIFA Futsal Referee who also officiates cricket which were popular in his homeland of Guyana. We had a contingent from Arizona. There was also a team from California. I worked with partners from all over the east coast including one who’s family came from Columbia. In reflecting on all of this I realize how important it is to embrace diverse cultures. On the court we all speak the game of soccer.
Gaslighting and Going back on Black History?
Let’s remember in this domestic world the gaslighting is constant. We need to be the light to ensure that love is not cancelled. We just need to keep shining it into the darkness.
During my rest week I caught up on some reading. During this Black History Month it was time to devote one book to being woke. I picked up Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. While he wrote this in the time before 45-47 was in the house at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. the message still needs to be renewed today.
Our Crawford was named after the Pittsburgh Crawfords. His Great Granddaddy on the human side built the Civic Arena project that displaced the Lower Hill. We understand the impact it had at the time on this community. We realize that while Pittsburgh wasn’t the South, it still had unwritten laws and lines that impacted black people. We realize the reason the Freedom House Ambulance Service started in Pittsburgh was all about lack of service to the black community. It also happened because of timing, location and belief in one another’s humanity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Between_the_World_and_Me
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta-Nehisi_Coates
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Jones
Ignoring the Constitution & Executive orders to circumvent the rule of law and the elected congress
February was the month of the Executive Order and Tariffs. We've watched government agencies and workers go up and down the DOGE roller coaster. The Federal Courts have stepped in when the actions have not followed established laws. Highway projects that were in process have been put on hold. Foreign aid has been put on hold. The POTUS has chosen to say that Ukraine has invaded Russia and our country can no longer support Ukraine. At this time when the Washington Post is picking which editorials to include. The New York TImes is letting Frank Kendall former Secretary of the Air Force write. "Our country is in uncharted territory. We have an administration that is waging war against the rule of law. The evidence is everywhere. We don’t yet know how far it will go as it seeks to control, reinterpret, rewrite, ignore or defy legal constraints, including the Constitution itself."
Frank Kendall was the secretary of the Air Force in the Biden administration.
Remember to find your space. Remember to breathe. Remember that we weathered the first storm and with this test we too shall become more unified.
Be a seeker.
Keep searching for the truth.
Keep learning.
Lead with Love and Empathy.
