Right from the time I walk on the floor, I try to convey an aura of authority and professionalism without crossing the line into arrogance.
This includes wearing my association jacket right up until game time, introducing myself and my partner to the coaches, shaking hands but not getting conversational, not joking during the captains meeting and going over timing and scoring protocol with the timer and scorer in an authoritative manner.
Once the game starts, I make sure I hustle and, if there is an unusual or weird call, I take time to explain it to the coaches in a calm, reasonable manner.
All of that, plus my orange and purple striped hair and nose rings, usually do the trick. (P.S. - I usually work barefoot, too)
|