Has a player ever called you by your first name?

[Josh1993]

Season is almost over, but of course something new just had to come up so I'm asking you for advice once again:

Warming up for the boy's JV game and the scorer's table is trying to get the game ball to me. They hand the ball to a player who calls "Josh!" and when I turn around he passes me the ball.

I shot him a look and replied, "Thank you, number 15!"

He knew what I meant right away. "Oops. Sorry, Ref."

Has this ever happened to you, and what have you done about it?

[Rich]

My name's not Josh, so I'd probably be confused.

If they said, "Hey, Rich!"?

I'd say, "Thanks" and not think twice about it.

[ChuckS]

At my very first HS game, my partner introduced us as "Bob and Chuck". Of course as a raw rookie I wasn't going to say anything, but I thought it was odd. We are adults, they are kids (students). They would never call their teachers or coaches by first name, so why us?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by ChuckS

At my very first HS game, my partner introduced us as "Bob and Chuck". Of course as a raw rookie I wasn't going to say anything, but I thought it was odd. We are adults, they are kids (students). They would never call their teachers or coaches by first name, so why us?

I've been doing this almost 30 years and I introduce myself as Rich.

These threads never go anywhere -- opinion is split on whether a "child" should call an adult by a first name. Some feel it's no big deal. Others think it is. Perhaps I should link to an older thread and then close this one.

[BryanV21]

My partners and I always introduce ourselves by our first names.

What's the problem?

BTW, if you want to be like that, then we are officials. There is only one "referee" and two "umpires" on an officiating crew.

[Nevadaref]

At the varsity level, I address the captains by their first names (yes, I memorize them) and I permit them to call me by mine. Most of them are 18 years old and are young adults anyway. I also address all coaches by their first names and expect them to use mine.
I look at the whole issue as one of mutual respect.

I have to wonder what some of the older generation thinks of sharing the same roads with these young drivers and voting in the same elections as these young citizens.

[deecee]

Who cares. If they call me by my first name I'm fine with that. I introduce myself as such. When partners go on about "I'm Mr. so and so and he's Mr. so and so" you might as well introduce the crew as a$$ and holes.

If I know a coach's first name and we are chatting I will call him by that. I have a name and expect it to get used.

[jpgc99]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

At the varsity level, I address the captains by their first names (yes, I memorize them) and I permit them to call me by mine. Most of them are 18 years old and are young adults anyway. I also address all coaches by their first names and expect them to use mine.
I look at the whole issue as one of mutual respect.

I have to wonder what some of the older generation thinks of sharing the same roads with these young drivers and voting in the same elections as these young citizens.

I agree. I always address captains by their first names. However, I do not use first names with coaches in basketball. I do in football, but on the basketball court it is always just "coach."

It doesn't bother me at all if anyone uses my first name. Why would that offend me?

[Dad]

Originally Posted by deecee

Who cares. If they call me by my first name I'm fine with that. I introduce myself as such. When partners go on about "I'm Mr. so and so and he's Mr. so and so" you might as well introduce the crew as a$$ and holes.

If I know a coach's first name and we are chatting I will call him by that. I have a name and expect it to get used.

I'd go with self-absorbed and narcissistic, but that works.

I couldn't care less what a person calls me. How they say it is a different story.

[Josh1993]

My name's not Josh, so I'd probably be confused.

Well played.


I'm glad to hear that this isn't a big deal. I could be overly sensitive here because we know most of the kids, and I'm only a few years older than the players so I'm always extra careful to avoid the appearance of favoritism.

[BlueDevilRef]

Put me in the category that doesn't care. I don't think it's a big deal

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Josh1993

Season is almost over, but of course something new just had to come up so I'm asking you for advice once again:

Warming up for the boy's JV game and the scorer's table is trying to get the game ball to me. They hand the ball to a player who calls "Josh!" and when I turn around he passes me the ball.

I shot him a look and replied, "Thank you, number 15!"

He knew what I meant right away. "Oops. Sorry, Ref."

Has this ever happened to you, and what have you done about it?

No. I have always introduced myself and my partner(s) as Mr. Last Name here.

MTD, Sr.

[Altor]

I'm going to throw you all for a loop...
I address the athletes as Mr. and Miss, but tell them they can call me by my first name (because my last name is an odd one).

[Mark Padgett]

I actually encourage the Hot Moms to call me by my nickname - "Studmuffin". Unfortunately, in all the years, I never got called by that even once - especially not by my wife.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Josh1993

Season is almost over, but of course something new just had to come up so I'm asking you for advice once again:

Warming up for the boy's JV game and the scorer's table is trying to get the game ball to me. They hand the ball to a player who calls "Josh!" and when I turn around he passes me the ball.

I shot him a look and replied, "Thank you, number 15!"

He knew what I meant right away. "Oops. Sorry, Ref."

Has this ever happened to you, and what have you done about it?

There is not a single player I officiate who knows my first name. I'm not from here (brought here by the military), neither of my kids play(ed) HS basketball, and any kid in the neighborhood knows me as Mr. LastName.