[Hawks Coach]

1. I understand how a game is being called much better now. There are calls that are passed on (adv/disadv) that I never understood. There are rules that I didn't know all of the nuances of. I also get frustrated at a poorly reffed game because I know when they are on it and when they are not. But I have learned that it doesn't matter, because those refs are reffing at their capacity that day, and we need to play the game as it is called.

2. I can communicate more appropriately with officials. If I do have an issue, it will be (generally) a rules issue, where we all agree as to what occurred, but disagree as to how to enforce the rules. Have gotten a couple of calls to go my way with such knowledge.

(Some might argue that I should be equal opportunity in my use of interps, i.e., help my opponent as well as me. It may sound more sporting, and perhaps it is, but I believe that all coaches have access to the same resources - if they don't know the rule and don't step in, it's their problem not mine. I am not a neutral arbiter - I am a highly parochial observer and will lobby for my team. But I won't be on the ref the whole game like my opponents - I will ask for what I think we deserve)

3. I have a much better understanding of how much we get as well as how much we lose in terms of calls. I have a chirper of an assistant, and one way I have learned to keep him quiet is to only mention the calls we get to go our way - a bad BC violation call on our opponents, an OOB that goes our way, etc. He tends to note only that which goes against us, but he is quieter when he knows we're getting a few as well.

4. I teach my players much better. They know the rules better, as well as how refs apply the rules. They know much better how to read an official, rather than being upset at the way they are calling a game. I am really working on them to keep their emotions in check - I tell them that the ref should never know what they think of a call, because most refs don't want to know that a player disagrees. Just play.

I also teach them whare the problem areas are in the rules, especially for junior refs (backcourt anyone?). It is better to avoid ambiguity and potential bad calls, rather than to roll the dice on getting a good view of the call AND a proper rules interpretation. So I teach them what the rule is, but also to stay out of situations where someone can either not clearly see what happened or mis-apply a rule that is widely mis-understood. If they put themselves in a situation where a call can go against them, I tell them not to complain that the call went wrong - it is their fault for allowing an opportunity for a bad call. I am a big fan of personal accountability for actions - blaming refs allows players a cop-out and lets too many problems go unaddressed.

5. We win more games. Dan Harwood, a local public HS coach of outstanding reputation and won/loss record in the area, recently spoke to our club. (I find successful public school coaches much more impressive because they can't recruit - they do with what they are handed rather than by recruiting the best players) Harwood said that AAU, travel, and rec coaches all spend too much time griping at refs. His main point was if you are yelling, you aren't coaching your players. You get so wrapped up in how the ref is costing you a game that you don't note the critical aspects of your play that are costing you the game.

Coach Harwood related a story about a travel league game he coached where his player got an offensive bound on a FT then an easy putback with a foul. The opposing coach was all over the refs for (all together now) "overtheback, comeonnow, yougottacallthat." In reality, Harwood's player stepped right around the defender, got an easy rebound and then the put back. The coach should have been on his player. Harwood looked at his assistant, smiled, and said "that's why we're going to win this game." He was coaching, his opponent was not. He was right then, and continues to win by coaching rather than chirping.