The end is near

I have my final soccer game of the season on Thursday. Now, I want to reflect back on the season at some point and my experiences because they have been rather interesting. For instance, a couple of weeks ago a coach chased after me after a game after I made a late penalty kick call. That was interesting. I have parents yell stuff at me every game and have had coaches go insane on me on the sidelines... you know, all the fun stuff referees have to endure.

Anyway, while I will miss the money, my heels could not be more excited about the end of the season. I realized on Tuesday just how much damage is being done to my heels. I hadn't reffed a game in four days, from last Thursday until Tuesday, and over that relative short period of time my heels had gotten better. I hadn't really noticed until Tuesday, when I put my cleats back on and ran around on the soccer field. It was painful, and the difference between running in my Asics and running in cleats was never more apparent than it was then.

With some time off my cleats, I think my heels will be able to recover rather quickly, even if I'm still running and walking around and doing things like I normally do. After all, 70-80 minutes on cleats is a lot to ask for.

I think next season (and I'm doing this again next season) I will have to prepare better. I will have to buy the cushions or whatever they're called. I don't want to not wear cleats - some of the fields I've been on were difficult enough navigating on cleats - but I might have to find an alternative to just straight soccer cleats.

So yes, my final game is on Thursday, a junior varsity girls game. Well, actually, I take that back. I started refereeing some games at a local university; it's mostly grad students, co-ed, people paying a ton of money to go to school that must also participate in some sort of physical activity, and I'm one of the refs. It's not the most stressful situation - waaaaay easier than high school - but it's still time in my cleats.

But once a week is better than five times a week... for my heels, not my wallet.