Thread: AAU Issues
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  #14 (permalink)  
Old Mon Apr 09, 2007, 12:37am
SMEngmann SMEngmann is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 423
In my opinion, the vast majority of problems in AAU games come because the officials on the games haven't yet developed the level of expertise needed to control these games. Often, AAU officials are younger officials looking to work higher level ball, or guys who will ref 10-11 games in a row to pick up a paycheck, and couldn't care less about the coaches. Also, many of the coaches are slighly less scrupulous than coaches in high school games because AAU is a business to them, and they don't have a teaching job they need to worry about.

My philosophy when I work AAU games is that I will not be bullied or intimidated, nor will I make any concessions in terms of the rules or sportsmanship. Many guys have the attitude that because it's summer ball, it's relaxed and they will have more tolerance for BS than they ordinarily would, I go in with the opposite approach. There are plenty of AAU games around, and if the tournament director doesn't like how I deal with coaches or wants me to bend, I will simply not work those games. If the director sides with a coach over me, fine, I just won't work. I think if collectively we as officials adopted the policy that we will not bend to simply help the tournament director make a buck, then we'd be much better off.
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