Saturday evening GV
During late in the second quarter the home HC was really getting on OUR (2man crew) nerves. Lucky for us he had to walk us to our classroom during half
. I told him during that walk that if he kept up the way he was he was going to a T in the 3rd. He asked me about a no-call earlier and I told him that if this is how he had been approaching me earlier we would be fine. I said ask away and I will answer as many questions as I possibly can -- but make statements and I won't even acknowledge them (for the most part). He appologized and I felt that it would be the end of that. I was right. but maybe I should have had this talk with the visiting coach too
-- he had been perfect all first half.
Halfway through the third quarter his girl goes for a layup and misses -- she jumps backwar (not a lot) to get the rebound and defense jumps forward(about the same distance) and they both make some contact and offense gets the rebound (coach is yelling for this foul to be called but it was incendental and his player had another pretty much unontested attempts at a layup), pivots away from the defense and attempts another layup and misses
. Now defense gets the rebound and same offensive player just reaches in out of frustration and commits a foul. I am lead in front of visiting bench (the visiting player was called for the foul).
Coach is irate and starts Yelling "TIME OUT!!!!" (x) 3 or 4. I KNEW this TO was for a jaw session with me and I HAD to walk right by him as I was about 6-8 feet away when he called the TO. He starts going off about the contact and I calmly told him "coach let me report the foul and TO and if you have any questions I would answer them but I would prefer if you addressed your team FIRST during your TO." He didnt apparently want to address his team -- So while I am reporting foul and TO -- he is waiting outside the huddle for me. When I was done he said he used that TO to address my nocall. OK fine I will try and work with him here.
coach: how was there no foul on that rebound my girl was hammered./?
me: Jim (name has been changed) are you asking me a question or making a statement. I can answer your question if you want.
coach: that was a foul and then you call that touch foul after.
me: Jim I am trying to work with you here but you are making it difficult. (now I start to move away slowly).
coach: I want you to officiate the game.
me: Jim this conversation is over I would suggest you drop it from here on in. (I could have T'd him here -- but this conversation was really only audible to me, him and his team and I can handle this).
Now I go to the other side of the gym as per full timout requirements and wait by the block. TO over and I hear "THAT's Horrible" -- I look over and Jim is staring at me he says again "That's horrible" and I give him the stop/cut it off hand signal. My partner is about the put the ball in play right by Jim's bench and he says again "That's really horrible" still looking at me and by then I had NO choice. T --
Jim: Yes you are just giving them the game Thank you.
I report the T
me: Jim you just gave them that I just called it. Partner calm him down and seat belt him.
He was fine from there on in and didn't say anything. Now I know I had 2 opportunities earlier to T him up -- but I personally passed on the first because I was in his den and he didn't really cross the line too bad IMO -- the conversation of sorts was between him and I and I am fine with that. The second time could have been after his first or second remark of "that's horrible" as hes had plenty of time to cool off. Now the whole time I was calm and even tried to calm him down -- I think if I had not addressed him during the TO he would have earned that T much sooner even though when I left him I felt it wasnt over and it will get to that soon. I try not to deal with coaches when it is very clear they are frustrated and angry as that only makes things weird but this situation I dont think I had any choice-- I was right in front when I made the call, he specifically called the TO to "discuss" with me and let me know that. One thing I did appreciate and my partner mentioned it earlier was that my partner DID NOT come in to help me out. this was a 1on1 converstaion if anything and I think help from the partner would have made it worse. He did ask me if I should have T'd him up during the TO and I said most guys would in that instance -- I didn't take anything personally, and I thought he was acting more out of frustration so I gave him the benefit of doubt. Home coach had a warning I felt that in this case the visitors deserved it too. Now if he had stepped over the line and blatantly insulted integrity or said some choice words no doubt about it but here its a personal choice why I DID NOT T. How, if you do, handle visibly irate coaches when they make it clear they want to have a word with you?