Quote:
Originally posted by rockyroad
I buy "envelopes" from the post office, put pre-paid postage on them, self-address it, put a blank tape in it and take it to my games with me when I want a film...hand it to the AD or game management and ask them to copy the game film and drop it in the mail. Most are very happy to do so...sometimes takes a few days longer than you would expect to get it back, but most schools have some sort of AV program and can do this for you...
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Okay, Luv2Ref, just remember, you asked. Here's the 20 minute sermon on taping games.
Most important is, DO IT!! as often as possible. Rockyroad's method is the most convenient for you, but if you work JV or below, this isn't going to happen, becuase the school isn't taping.
What you do is find a hungry, co-operative teen-ager, and a manageable camcorder with tripod. Take them both to your game at about 1/2 time of the game before. Help the teen see how to run the camera, let him practice a little and you make some suggestions.
Tell him that what you want is YOU. If he can get YOU plus the ball, great. He should do that as much as possible, but if both won't fit, you want YOU all the time. Have him zoom in sometimes, such as when you are signalling the table, of if he notices something that is goofy or annoying, like a habit of scratching your head or whatever. But the wide angle shots are useful also, and he should get a good balance of both wide and zoom. After the game, buy him a hamburger or whatever on the way home, and pay him $5.
When you watch your tape, you're not going to see much of the fouls and action. Some, but you'll mostly have to work on judgment elsewhere. What you are looking for is court coverage, signals, appearance such as uniform and grooming, and physical fitness. Look for those annoying little things that add up to big loss of credibility, such as a shirt that doesn't fit correctly, or as mentioned above, a habit of scratching your head a lot. When the camera is close enough, look at the look on your face. Do you look irritated? goofy? impatient? angry? pleasant? intent?
You can also sometimes catch a rules interp problem or two. If this happens, stop the tape immediately, dig out your books and get your head straight on that particular situation. This is a great way to get it into your memory correctly.
Also pay close attention to whatever you can hear in your voice and language. Talk too much? Not enough? Sound dizzy, or tired? Impatient?
During the tape write things down that you want to work on in the next two weeks. Prioritize them, and then follow through in the next couple of games. Check back your list and re-prioritize. After a couple of weeks, get another tape and see if the things you were working on improved, or not.
If you don't feel as though you are getting enough out of the tape, ask an official that is ahead of you on the ladder, to look at it and make suggestions.
Four tapes in one season are about equal to two summers worth of camp in the areas you can see. It makes a huge difference!