Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg Needel
What ever happened to "If it's too loud then you are too old"
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I know you've already taken your licks for this, but I'll go ahead and add another vote for "I'm not too old, it's actually too loud." I had the pleasure of refereeing the Buckeye Regional in 2008. I'm in no way averse to the noise at sporting events, concerts, and whatnot, so I was surprised that by Friday afternoon, my ears were not just ringing, but
aching. I eventually tracked down a pair of earplugs, but they limited my effectiveness as a volunteer; team members and the other referees found it difficult at times to get my attention. It's not fun to be in the position of having to decide between performing my job to the best of my ability or not suffering immediate pain and possible long-term damage. In fact, that's what OSHA is for. For this reason, I strongly encourage FIRST to enforce reasonable limits on volume at their events.
(For what it's worth, I also refereed at the Midwest Regional and the Championship. I did not find the volume level at these events to be anywhere near painful, and it looked like everyone participating was still having a blast.)