Pre-Game Captains Meeting

[Eastshire]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

I don't let kids call me by my first name either. And I don't let my minor children call adults by their first names. Is there a problem with that?

There's no problem with it. However, it is no longer the cultural norm.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Eastshire

There's no problem with it. However, it is no longer the cultural norm.

You don't live in Virginia. People still call each other Sir and Ma'am on a regular basis if they are not personal acquaintances. And everywhere I travel in the South I make to sure to especially address older blacks by Sir or Ma'am in deference to all those years they were addressed disrespectfully as a matter of cultural norms.

[UNIgiantslayers]

Yikes.

[scrounge]

I don't even know we still have captain's meeting, to be honest. Don't do it in other sports like baseball. And I especially don't know why some (a decreasing number but still a sizable minority) of my partners still insist on asking who the 'speaking' captain is. What are they saying? It's not like they're calling the coin toss. And I don't remember their number 5 seconds later and I bet dollars to donuts my partner doesn't either. Never once have I heard a partner say to someone asking a question 'No, you can't ask me, you're not the speaking captain'. Utterly superfluous and useless.

But because we still have to do this charade, I try to keep mine short and simple. "Ok, you know your teammates better than I do, right? You know what they look like when they get mad or frustrated? If you can calm them down, it's so much better for everyone - keep us out of it as best you can. Alright - any questions? Good luck".

And I'm in the 'not on a first name basis with 16 yr olds' camp as well. If I'm not the R and a partner does it, of course I'll mention it. But if I'm the R? Either nothing or Mr. XXX. No one is listening anyway, it doesn't matter.

[Eastshire]

Originally Posted by scrounge

I don't even know we still have captain's meeting, to be honest. Don't do it in other sports like baseball. And I especially don't know why some (a decreasing number but still a sizable minority) of my partners still insist on asking who the 'speaking' captain is. What are they saying? It's not like they're calling the coin toss. And I don't remember their number 5 seconds later and I bet dollars to donuts my partner doesn't either. Never once have I heard a partner say to someone asking a question 'No, you can't ask me, you're not the speaking captain'. Utterly superfluous and useless.

But because we still have to do this charade, I try to keep mine short and simple. "Ok, you know your teammates better than I do, right? You know what they look like when they get mad or frustrated? If you can calm them down, it's so much better for everyone - keep us out of it as best you can. Alright - any questions? Good luck".

And I'm in the 'not on a first name basis with 16 yr olds' camp as well. If I'm not the R and a partner does it, of course I'll mention it. But if I'm the R? Either nothing or Mr. XXX. No one is listening anyway, it doesn't matter.

It's done in sports with coin tosses for obvious reasons.

[scrounge]

Originally Posted by Eastshire

It's done in sports with coin tosses for obvious reasons.

Yea, that's kinda my point...ask for a speaking captain when, you know, they actually need to speak. No such need here.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Eastshire

That escalated quickly.

What escalated? You said something was a cultural norm, I stated that it is not where I live. And I stated what used to be a cultural norm where I live.

There is a great big world out there, I never assume something that happens where I live is the norm in some other part of the country.

I was also raised by a man who was frequently addressed as "boy" for his first 30 years on this planet, even while serving his country. So one of his "things" was that all of his children were to address adults as Mr., Miss, or Mrs. and that we were always to address his brothers and sisters as Uncle or Aunt.

Sorry if that so offensive to some. I don't know why it should bother anybody else. I'm not telling anybody else how they should be addressed.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by scrounge

Yea, that's kinda my point...ask for a speaking captain when, you know, they actually need to speak. No such need here.

More than once this season I've gone to the speaking captain to address a minor point quietly before it became a big point that I needed to be noticed addressing.

I certainly see the value.

And, while saying "sportsmanship" in the pre-game meeting probably has zero effect on that game, saying it 25 times a season might have some effect on the Game.

And, I do introduce myself as "Bob." I don't really care what they call me -- I care about the (real or implied) adjective in front of it.

[Eastshire]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

You don't live in Virginia. People still call each other Sir and Ma'am on a regular basis if they are not personal acquaintances. And everywhere I travel in the South I make to sure to especially address older blacks by Sir or Ma'am in deference to all those years they were addressed disrespectfully as a matter of cultural norms.

That escalated quickly.

[Refhoop]

Originally Posted by Eastshire

There's no problem with it. However, it is no longer the cultural norm.

The court is suppose to be an extension of the classroom... correct?
A few teachers and coaches are beginning to allow their students and athletes to call them by their first name... but this is definitely not the norm in middle and high school.
Hard to image Coach K allowing his athletes to call him Mike, while they're playing for him at Duke...?
Personally, I'd prefer to just be called "hey ref" or just "ref".
On that point; isn't the rule of thumb for officials to call the coaches: "Coach" and not by his first or last name.
So while on the court with minors, its: #3, #10... coach and ref!