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I find that each year that passes I gain a greater appreciation of how difficult the officials job is. I think I have always been pretty tolerant because of the way I was brought up. To me, an official is like a cop. I was brought up to respect cops because of the job they do. When cops aren't respected society falls apart. Likewise, if basketball officials are not respected, the game falls apart. That said, popping in on the board for the last 2 years has made me understand things about the game that I never learned just coaching. A little bit of it has to do with the rules, but mostly it has to do with how I see the game on the court. It's pretty hard to define, but I believe that I see what is happening much better. I don't just watch my players to see if they are doing what they've been coached to do, but I watch with a little more detachment. Maybe I'm a little less of my own team's fan, and a little more of an analyst of what is going on. In any case, it has definitely made be a better coach, and I hope, has made the kids on my team better people - and maybe better players as well.
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