Thunder, Lightening and Soccer...

They just really do not mix. Period. The coaches manual even says that the games go ahead in RAIN... but as soon as there is ONE boom of thunder and/or one crack of lightening, the game is to be called. Makes perfect sense. Apparently, they don't always teach their TWELVE YEAR OLD referees how to make these kinds of life altering decisions. :roll:

So we get to soccer (Zachary's) for 5:30, and the clouds look menacing. My friend (another soccer mom) who took some meteoroligy classes in uni., said "oh, those are thunder clouds, no mistaking it!" But the game started, as there had been no lights or sounds.

Fast forward about 1.5 minutes. boom...... Boom.... BOom.... BOOOOM! Along with that came sheet and bolts of lightening. The game goes on. UM NO!! The 12 year old who has reffed for only 3 weeks simply doesn't make the call. The parents are kinda wondering. A couple parents start pulling their kids off the field. I try to be one, but Zachary doesn't pay attention, or can't hear me. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt! LOL!

I then step in. I'm not the coach, but Michael is. I tell him "YOU get out there and call this game, RIGHT NOW!" For Pete's sake (man he takes a lot that Pete!)... CALL THE FREAKIN' GAME!! I get the attention of the other two coaches and tell them the rules state, you know it, now get out there and get that kid to call the game. They talk to him, he says "I will defer to you as coaches." COP OUT. So *I* call the game! LOL! Then the ref does, and the other teams coaches agree that it's not safe. WELL DUH! The other game going on beside us continues, but when they see OUR game is over, they call theirs too.

That isn't the end!! LOL A parent from the other team is like "oh come on, this is ridiculous!" She was pissed for them calling the game!! I turned to her and said "it's only ridiculous until YOUR child, or another child or adult gets struck by lightening. It won't be so ridiculous then. It's in the coaches handbooks, the game is called on account of lightening." She just miffed at me. :eyeroll: Honestly... really!?? The 'storm' continued for a while... so the game would have been called anyway!

NOW we are off to JA's game, and see how it goes! LOL!