Exam Jitters

Do you remember that super nervous feeling you used to get when you took exams?  That weird feeling in the pit of your stomach plus the heightened awareness?  (Or, was that just me??)  When was the last time you felt those jitters?  It had been quite a while for me, but in keeping with the A-type personality that I am, I got completely and overly nervous for my lacrosse written exam that I took yesterday.  Fortunately, I didn't get so nervous that I lost my head.  You know, like the time that I accidentally threw away my college ID right before the chemistry final which led to the temporary course failure and temporary loss of college scholarship (ha-ha, that was a fun one, right Dad??).  

Among other lacrosse umpiring requirements, you have to take an annual written examination.  Normally, the stakes for this exam are pretty low.  If you're a "Local" rated official (i.e., high school umpire) you only have to get an 80% or something in order to maintain your good standing.  And, if you don't pass the test you can try again.  The exam is open book so you can check the rules as you take the test. And, you get to take the exam in the comforts of your own home via the Internet.  (As an aside, it seems a little ridiculous to me to allow a person that only understands 4 out of 5 rules with rulebook in hand to be in charge of a game.  Maybe some of the coach and spectator angst is a wee bit justified??).

BUT, this year I am going to be going to try to earn my "District" rating, which means that I could officiate Division III College games.  Cool, right?  Well, among other requirements you have to get a 90% on the written test which includes PIAA rules and NCAA rules since there are some college and high school rule differences.  A 90% on the first try.

Fortunately the exam is still open book, which turned out to be a good thing because there are always a few finer rule points that I haven't noticed before.  Some of the points are procedural, for example it's illegal to change the color of the ball during the game (good to know).  Other points are about penalty administration, which could affect the outcome of the game.

So, what was the result???  PASS! 94% on PIAA test and 100% on NCAA test.  Onto the field rating next....definitely more jitters to come......lock up my purse before that one!