Retirement

It's my final and last match as a referee today. I managed Rocky Leon to come to my hometown, I organized  a tournament with 50 people included, I did many great things, but being a ref was definitely the best experience ever! It's given me so much. I've improved so many skills which will be useful in my future. Very strange feelings when I realize I'm going onto the pitch with a whistle in my hand for the last time. I can't pretend I loved swearing at me, but I liked it. All the responsibility of all the match. Anyway, how did it started?
Just simple way home from the match where I only played. So I was in a car with a ref of that match and he just asked me: "Do you wanna become a ref?" At that time my answer on almost everything was just simple "Alright!" So I started to visit a referee course and after a month I was given a paper with basic instructions of my first match (home team, away team, competition, ref and asisstants). Then I was standing on the line and tried to understand what the fucking hell am I supposed to do. I still remember these 90 minutes of all the wrong decisions and discovering what I should and shouldn't do as a ref. That was completely different job than being a player. However on my way home I caught as many advices as I could. A week after there was my second match. That was briliant. With little hairy funny guy. Honestly I remember I did no mistake in that match. And that was a derby match. So I was quite happy for that. My first match as a first referee was seen by my father, so I got all the good advices. My dad improved me the most. Every time he saw me he told about every simple one mistake that I made. He showed me the way how to be a succesful referee. After a while there was also my first indoor football tournament. Very different. Sometimes I need to be more focused. And of course, it lasts a lot longer. So I was always leaving pretty exhausted. But I remember one tournament in Turany where I fucked up some things, but there was the point when I said to myself "Why the fuck should I be nervous? Either I fuck it up, or I stay calm and I'll do a good job." However I got a lot of confidence there and since then I was't nervous before the match at all.
So I spent lot of time on the pitch during next four years. I learnt by every match. When everyone is supposed to do what they like, or learn during the weekends I was spending my time in black shirt. It took lot of time, but it's worth it now. I can remember many matches. I travelled almost all over the region, I was in almost every village in here, I saw almost every ground in Liptov. Being a ref educated me in a geographical term a lot. I earned so much money that every teenager can only dream of. That was great and probably the biggest advantage. My matches were either boring, or excitig, or funny, or sometimes even dangerous. But I had to go through all of them to know what does it mean to be a ref.
After long four years I got to very high level. I'm not bigheaded, but I think I'm one of the best in my town. That shows amount of matches I was involved in. And what a matches that were. I've got to know so many people thanks to football what paid out later. Just a few matches before my retirement I had the worst experience ever. I experienced so many mad people and such a madness that you can't even imagine, but there it was over all the boundaries. It was a 1-1 draw when I waved a penalty with just seven minuted to go. I wasn't hurt, but I had a lot to do to get away alive. Thanks to home stewards I was leaving with big smile on my face (and with 20€ in my pocket). But this is not what it is about. I've never never taken a coin before the match. Although I had a phone call one time, but they lost so it turned out that we were leaving with nothing.
So my last match is waiting for me and I can say, it is the right time to retire. I had really strong nerves, I resisted all the pressure, but I don't know how long I would keep doing that. I really need a break from all that yelling and swearing at me. I always smile and laugh when I think back on referee moments.
Two most important abilities in this job were grown in me to very high level. Patience what makes me able to communicate in hard situations with madmen. And also in many other things. And the second one is confidence. The most important ability. When every player sees a confident ref he got lot of respect. And that's what ref needs. In my life I had to deal with many tough situations, but I could handle with them only because of my confidence. When I compare my first before-match feelings and feeling today, it's completely different. Being a ref changed me a lot. As a referee, but as a person as well.
So as I said I have many bad memories on my era, but thanks to them I am who I am today. And of course there are obviously these nice moments when I am grateful for becoming a ref.

But now, it's in the end and I'm going. Thanks and bye, refereeness...