[Snake~eyes]

Originally posted by drothamel
Some of the best advice I have gotten about addressing coach comments/questions I heard from former NBA ref Nolan Fine. He suggested addressing the coaches with questions. Things like, "How did you see it, coach?" One of the best I have used is "What do you mean by that?" when a coach is commenting about an uneven foul count. The question usually forces a coach to stop for a second and allows you the chance to respond differently. A coaches first comment or question can be very confrontational in tone, if you can get him or her to rephrase, it can lead to a better dialogue. Plus, responding with a question usually buys you some time. I have found that a good answer is usually "I understand." or, "I see where you are coming from." It acknowledges the concern, but doesn't commit to anything.

Bottom line-- most coaches want, and deserve, some type of response, since no one wants to be ignored. The trick is in knowing the appropriate response.

Just curious, what camp did you hear Nolan talk at? I have heard him speak, I understand he speaks at a couple of camps.