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Old Thu Dec 15, 2011, 12:34pm
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Adam Adam is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bainsey View Post
I don't think so.

If you're a teenager that's instructed not to shake hands/fist bump with officials, you see us in a different, inaccessible light. It's a little thing, but it has a ripple effect on impressions.

Conversely, fist bumping opens things up for the kids, a little more than handshaking, IMO. (Handshaking is still the way to go for coaches, I say.) This act is very common in soccer around here (mostly post-game, some pre-game) and I see a difference it has on relations.

Does it eradicate problems completely? Of course not. However, the crap factor is certainly lessened when you've made positive contact previously.
I've done games both ways, and there's been no difference. Games with no introductions don't have the pregame handshake or fist bump. You're obviously free to disagree, but my experience tells me you're wrong.

Respect comes from the coach, and they're all perfectly capable of teaching it without the crutch of a handshake.
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