My major lesson at camp this year was avoiding isolation of partners and striving for teamwork by demonstrating some leadership. I think it would take me many paragraphs to fully describe what I mean. But let me illustrate this way.
I didn't have confidence in two partners (neither were college officials) in one game that I called. I attempted to encourage them to look for certain things, and remind them of certain game management concerns late in the game. Of course, I couldn't make calls for them, and I couldn't make up for their lack of experience about women's NCAA mechanics. [True--I had been a rookie once myself. So I needed to remember not to be arrogant, which during the game I think I was OK.]
Now look at this. During the critique, I was set up to answer a question, and I answered it TOO truthfully. I was asked to say how I really felt and what I truthfully thought about the game. Well, when anyone asks Jim Dixon to tell the truth, he gets it with both barrels. I was a fool. I said, among other things, I did not have confidence in my partners., and The players never really respected us. [I had called an intentional foul and a technical foul in the second halfindicative of the need to attempt to gain control. As a crew, we never fully gained control of the game.]
Later I was given one on one advice about saying something like thatdont! My evaluation of the game needed to be on target, but as a camper I should have let the critique of my partners come from the D1 clinician. Yeah, makes sense when I havent just come off the floor after a less than stellar performance on the court. But being tired, aggravated, etc., etc., after the game, I needed to show enthusiasm and certainly not be critical of partnerswe were still a team until the critique was over. I fully insulted one of them, and he never talked to me the rest of the camp. The other, a person I have had more contact with, knew I wasnt being malicious, but accepted my apology.
That was my lesson. Hope you can learn from it.
Jim Dixon
[This message has been edited by Jim Dixon (edited July 20, 2000).]
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