I would have told you no way. After 110 minutes and approximately 7 miles on these old legs the game was put out of it’s misery.
It is never good when I tell my team before the game “I don’t think either team knows how to win this game. I’m terrified both coaches are planning to defend at all costs and hope to get a counter chance. Oh and yes, I told my wife not to expect me before 4pm.” That is not my typical pregame but after watching a film on both teams and doing my referee scouting, I really had a bad feeling about the type of game I was going to manage.
Here’s the good part: my team just let the players play the game. My legs were still going American Footbal 25-25 (thats 50 yards) during the 2nd overtime, even though both teams were content to play lobbed longballs between the two sections of the field.
Were there a few close challenges. Yes, but both teams had their academy and ECNL type players in the key positions. The challenges were at a higher playing level because of the players involved in those challenges and their skill levels.
I did have an AR1 who was working her first playoff game. The irony — it wasn’t the first time I’ve ever worked with her. It was the first time I worked a high school game with her and it was only the year after she played in the same tournament just last fall.
Recovery is a key component to getting back on the field day after day. The high school soccer season in Pennsylvania is a combined sprint and Marathon. The typical day as a referee usually means 140 minutes of movement per day. It’s either a Junior High or JV and Varsity game each night from the end of August until the last week in October. There are many times that the shins, calf and quad muscles are constantly in recovery mode. Add in the stabilizers of the core muscles and activation of arms, chest and back muscles and the period from August 10 to November 10 is officially my high workload, in season period. My workouts in season are stripped down to fewer sets/reps and lighter weights. Morning mobility is often started on the rower after running daily I tend to skip the cardio on the Peloton bike. Resistance training is isolated to a body part region per day with lighter weights and only two sets. There are daily machine leg work to ensure that the ROM and overall performance could be maintained. The recover process employs foam rolling, massage gun, actual deep tissue massage and cupping, bath time and even some sauna and cold plunge. The only major injury was the crushed middle toes at the very beginning of the season. Thanks to ice, e-stim and epsom salt soaks that only slowed me down for 10 days of reduced workload.
My theme for high school season is to meet the players where they are with their knowledge of the game and technical ability. When I work with new referees I guide them that decisions as a referee need to flex with the game and the players. We need to meet our players and coaches where they are at the time. While non-referees and spectators would expect a foul to always be a foul- the great thing about soccer is we can play advantages and let players learn to play through illegal contact. I always explain that sometimes we shouldn’t be playing high school soccer in fields longer than the ones used in the English Premier League. Why? The spaces get too big. The flow is disturbed and the game turns into a kickball game, skipping zones instead of finding teammates with passes.
As an arbiter of the sport I love, the sport that is played worldwide, I need to note that I voted. I just need to add one more note about the democratic world–> I voted! My paper ballot has been received. I’m not sure what trickery or shell game will be played on election day. Maybe somebody has figured out how to infiltrate the voting systems, tabulation systems or whatever. Or maybe the current administration will choose to not validate what the states determine to be fair and just. Maybe that same somebody is in with the American President who basically cut off internet services to Ukraine, making them weakened for Russia. If that isn’t an act of treason, then maybe it is an act against humanity for a country at war. This is not a black and white decision. We need to ask questions. We need people to be accountable. We the people deserve to be treated as we the people. We need answers about our politicians being compromised. We need to end the corruption. We need to get rid of the . . .fraud and profiteering. Did I mention that we are at a weird point in time, where the American President has a civic judgement against him for sexual assault?
Enjoy the beautiful game. Keep it simple. Make it fun and for all. May we continue to create a world where all men and women are created and can be legally treated as equals.
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