I will just share my own experience.
I started officiating in 1999. First couple years I worked a lot of low-level games -- middle school and youth tournaments -- and took some lumps, as is to be expected. Was fortunate to have some veteran officials take me under their wings and I advanced fairly quickly. Was working about 50% varsity by my third year and a 100% varsity schedule in my fourth, but still a lot of 1A-2A games. Fifth year I was working mostly Mississippi Valley (CR, IC, W'loo, Dub.), MAC (Quad Cities) and we came over and worked a handful of CIML games each year.
I've officiated many games with some pretty fantastic players, including Doug McDermott, Harrison Barnes, all the Bohannon brothers, Marcus Paige, David Johnson (NFL) and of course the great McCaffrey brothers
and many others I'm sure I'm forgetting.
Overall, I would say the positive experiences have outweighed the negative by at least 100:1. I have, however, seen some very negative things over the years as well. I've had a partner get assaulted in a parking lot after a tournament game (which was mind boggling as he was 6-7 and the other two of us were 5-9). I've had friends who've been assaulted after games, including one who had a parent burst into a lockerroom and punch him in the face.
Certainly, I make mistakes every, single night. I've been very fortunate, however, in 18 years to have avoided the "big one". That big, controversial call that sets a gym off or impacts the outcome of a game. I'd like to think that is more than luck, as my philosophy has always been to "call the obvious" and otherwise stay out of the way. My goal, and that of my crew, is to not be noticed. If we can go home after a game and say to ourselves honestly that no one is going to talk about the officiating when they talk about that game, it's been a good night.
I stopped officiating lower-level games several years ago. The parents and coaches (who are mostly parents without any kind of certification) made it not enjoyable. Part of it was my own ego. I found it difficult to go and work a big 4A boys varsity game on Friday night, only to have "Johnny's Mom" get in my face and tell me "you don't know what the **** you're doing" at a youth game the next morning. I simply decided I wasn't going to subject myself to it anymore.
It is sad to me that the worst behavior seems to happen at the lowest levels. We get a lot of new guys who look like they're going to be good, then quit after one year because of what they experience in youth basketball. It's too bad because I think it gets better as you advance. The fans and coaches are more knowledgeable and the sportsmanship is better in scholastic basketball as there is some accountability.
At age 45, I'm in a position now of having to semi-retire because of knee problems. I had hoped to work 20 more years and maybe I still will if I can get some injury things figured out and fixed. Saddens me because I know more people are needed and by partially stepping away I'm becoming part of the problem of declining numbers.
I'm not saying this as a challenge or meaning to be condescending in any way. Those of you who love the game and think the officiating stinks -- in a lot of cases you're probably right -- give it a try. Despite what you think now, you MAY fall in love with it. I did.