Paul Van Buekenhout

Well, the end of our season arrived on Mother’s Day weekend.  I now estimate including tournament that I have worked over 90 games this season including tournaments. While it brought the end of things for North Shore youth soccer, I have now worked a couple of lines for the Pacific Coast Soccer League.  There is some good soccer being played here.  There are teams from all over the province, some of which are represented in USL.

We finished the schedule up to the Christmas break and I am ready for some time off!  From September 11th to last weekend my game count now stands at 55.  In the new year I am looking at a referee mentoring course.  We have some good kids coming through the ranks.  Hopefully, we can weed out the ones in it just for the money.  My basketball schedule is starting to filter in.  Starting on January 6th I will have three games in six nights along with whatever we have in make-up games.  On a side note - I was a size 42 waist three years ago.  Now I am a size 38!

I haven’t had a chance to post any of my game experiences for quite awhile.  Last night I went through my log and did a match count - there were 45 of them!  This is since September 11th.  I also have five games in tournament and one assistant assignment.  To date, I have issued 19 yellows and one red.  And last night was the start of basketball season!

Just finished my second week of the new season.  So far I have logged eight games.  This past weekend I did five including three on Sunday.  This past weekend was the debut of my world cup kit.  I didn’t realize how bright the yellow is, but still looks sharp.  I could probably be seen from space!  Basketball officiating is only two months away!

I just finished the annual BCBOA Tri-Cities camp.  It was a lot of fun and some hard work.  I hadn’t officiated a meaningful game since April 10th.  Out of action from April 23rd until the end of June due to a car accident.  Not as many teams this so I saw more than a few teams twice.  Not as many big players this year, but should’ve teed up a few of the mouthy coaches out there.  Next up, the annual soccer refresher!

Granted I am not as qualified as the officials working at World Cup 2010, some of the decisions made were dreadful.  I have not seen any of the early games, (4:30am my time) but did see some nice officiating from Howard Webb.  The red card issued in the Germany-Australia and the South Africa/Uruguay game wre uncalled for.  Yellow would have been appropriate in both cases.  The US were jobbed by the referee from Mali.  He would have been wise to let play go as both teams were going hard at it.  In the Spain/Switzerland game, was there really a need for five minutes of extra time?

We said good night to my daughter’s pet budgie, Roxy.   She had been with us for only a short time before her untimely passing.  

 She had quickly grown on us as we grew fond of her.  I was quite apprehensive about ever allowing our daughter to have a pet, but in the end, even with the heartbreak, we were all better off for having her in our home. 

I was the last to see her alive.  in the last week she grew accustomed to flying to door of her cage when we opened it and hopped onto an awaiting finger or hand.  This morning was no exception as she glady hopped onto my finger.  I had a hard time getting her back in her cage. 

 Good by Roxy, we love you and we miss you.

Recently, I was in Waikiki for 2 weeks during the olympics.  Boy was I surprised when I got home.  Gas was $1.147/litre!  While I was away, the price of one litre at Chevron in cdn. funds was 95 cents.  The ame litre today is 88.8 cents.  Transit is also very cheap compared to here.  For $2.25 u.s. I can ride public transit from Waikiki to the north end of Oahu. (45 mins by car) I found meat very cheap as well.  Fresh chicken breasts on sale for $1.69/pound, and steak for $1.99/pound. (not blade or chuck) Real estate prices are cheap.  A 11th storey, 2 bedroom and den condo across from the zoo and three blocks to the beach for $563,000.

All this from a state that does not allow gambling!  Who says Hawaii is expensive?

I am turning into the bionic referee.  I started my first year as a basketball referee in November.  I had just returned earlier in the month from injury to soccer officiating.  I ended up doing 21 basketball games along with keeping up my soccer schedule.  I have fourteen basketball games in the can so far this half with more to go!

I refereed the junior girls school league (gardes 8-10) last spring.  I did a junior boys exhibition game last Thursday and issued two yellow cards for unsporting behaviour.  It will be interesting how my game goes tomorrow!