Coaching Staff Decorum

[VrefA]

So I've read plenty of threads where we can all agree that we aren't going to take any crap from coaches and at a scholastic contest we are going to ignore anything said from the stands.

I recently had a contest where the Varsity coaching staff sat in the bleachers and yelled obscenities at the JV/Fresh officials when the varsity coaching staff disagreed with their calls. You could obviously tell they were coaching staff and represented the school as they all wore matching shirts and were sitting just above the team bench so they could coach (yell at) players as well.

The things that were said I would consider an "Automatic" had the coach been on the court but I would have ignored if it were just the common fan in the stands. Needless to say though, it still definitely violated the NFHS sportsmanship policy.

I think it would be looking for trouble to T the bench in this instance, much like it would be trouble to tell game admin. that the varsity head coach has to leave the gym. I am interested to see what the peanut galleries opinions could be to help resolve a similar situation.

[packersowner]

Originally Posted by VrefA

...... and at a scholastic contest we are going to ignore anything said from the stands.

Maybe this is the start of the issue. I don't exactly have my antennas up looking for something, but I'm not going to let some knot head who paid $4, sit in the front row and abuse the crew all night.

If that happens to be the coach of the next game or the guy who walked in off the street, they are a spectator at that point. I'm going to get game management or at least let them know, in that look your mom gave you when you were 10, that I am not putting up with their sh%t.

[Raymond]

You can always contact the State governing board and send correspondence to the school principal

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[JRutledge]

I will say this. When a coaching staff acts out before their games like a varsity contest, that is often something that gets around. Secondly if they do that in my presence, I will take that as note and maybe address it at first opportunity when it comes up in my game. Otherwise I would leave it alone before a game. I might contact my assignor as well to let them know this is something that is going on so that it can be addressed there. The only way I would contact the state (and I am talking specifically to our system) is if they did something influenced my particular game. Otherwise I would go through the chain of command to address this. But when my game starts, it is in their best interest to be on their best behavior.

Peace

[Raymond]

Coaches who act like that in the stands would get zero leeway with me in the Varsity game.

[griblets]

As a very young first year HS official at 20 years of age, while reffing a boys freshmen game, I had a spectator standing just in front of the bleachers opposite table side berating me. I gave him the heave-ho. It turns out that he was the varsity coach. After the game, his tone changed completely and he pathetically apologized only when he realized it meant he would be suspended from coaching his game. Unfortunately, the varsity crew decided that it didn't need to be reported and let him coach. And I didn't know any better regarding how to report it.

[LRZ]

griblets, let your assigner know, at the least. Around here, if something unusual occurs, most refs call the assigner to let him/her know. If you are on arbiter, you can also use the "report" function.

[SC Official]

Here, sub-varsity and varsity typically don't play on the same nights. But if something like this did happen to me, I 100% agree with BNR.

However, if I notice that there are "assistants" behind the bench area who are doing a lot of coaching and b*tching trying to circumvent the bench personnel rules (especially if they join the timeout huddle), I will make clear to the head coach that it's not going to fly and they will be penalized as regular bench personnel, which potentially includes him losing his box.

[jeremy341a]

Originally Posted by VrefA

I recently had a contest where the Varsity coaching staff sat in the bleachers and yelled obscenities at the JV/Fresh officials when the varsity coaching staff disagreed with their calls.

Any fan yelling obscenities at at scholastic contest will be removed at my game no matter who they are. This is not the arena where that is even close to acceptable IMO.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Just because you're in the row behind the bench doesn't mean you aren't a coach, especially if you're coaching players on the bench, and joining the team huddle during timeouts. If this happens in my game, I'm giving the HC ONE chance to correct it, and then if it happens again, someone's getting whacked!

[packersowner]

Originally Posted by jeremy341a

Any fan yelling obscenities at at scholastic contest will be removed at my game no matter who they are. This is not the arena where that is even close to acceptable IMO.

I agree - I am confused why everyone is saying they would talk to their assignor. Now in this case, I realize that VrefA may have not been officiating this game. If I was the official on the court though, you can't tolerate obscenities from a fan, that has to be addressed.

[BigT]

Had a varsity official show early and saw how the Varsity coach as a fan was treating us.

He told the VHC before his varsity game he didnt appreciate how he treated us fellow offcials and he was on a short leash. I love when Vets stand up for others.

When the VHC coaches from outside the team bench area I have been told to tell the HC that his coaching staff needs to sit on the bench.

Also been told use your site admin and have them go talk to the fan and let them know if they continue to distract the crew they will be asked to leave.

Worst one was the VHC son was playing my my Soph game and his son loved to run over his lousy opponent. ON the 2nd PC call he comes down out of the top of the stands jumps the bench and points at me.

Lets just say now I would simply ask site management to remove him and play the game.

These questions about what to do with these child like behaviors while sub varsity try to work are really good stuff. Wish more sub varsity were here to get some ideas...

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally Posted by BigT

Had a varsity official show early and saw how the Varsity coach as a fan was treating us.



He told the VHC before his varsity game he didnt appreciate how he treated us fellow offcials and he was on a short leash. I love when Vets stand up for others.



...

I would be more impressed if that varsity official had talked to the varsity hc while he was abusing you. That's when it really needed to be addressed.



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[refinks]

There is (or should I say was, as he resigned after last season) a varsity girls coach in my association that was.. let's just say... not a very cordial guy when it came to officials. A bit of a whiner, and a lot of technical. Got kicked out of a few games in his time at this school.

Anyways, long story short, was working a girls JV game one time. Girls JV coach for this school (who is now the varsity coach, and well deserved) and I have always gotten along great. Saw the varsity coach sitting one row behind the bench during the JV game and figured it was going to be a long game. Throughout the first half, I heard the varsity coach doing some coaching, and some minor questioning of calls (Did he really call that a foul, I think that was a travel, things like that). Calmest I'd seen him in a while.

Second half, 2 man crew. I'm trail, partner is lead. Partner calls a foul that quite honestly, wasn't a foul, but as a good partner, I back my partners all the way even when I know they've kicked a call. As soon as the call is made, before I could even get 2 steps from where I was standing, varsity coach stands up and says loud enough for me, but not my partner to hear "And that's why he's a JV official." I stopped dead in my tracks, turned right to the coach, "Whack". JV coach just dropped his head and sat down, because he, unlike his varsity coach, knew the situation.

Needless to say, the varsity coach was ticked off. Told me "you can't do that, I'm a fan this game, not a coach, you can't T me, you and your partner are pathetic, etc etc." I admit I did something that I shouldn't have, when I told the JV coach, "How would you like to coach varsity tonight?" Then pointed at the varsity coach. "Whack, get out, your night is over."

Now that was a fun report to fill out and send into my state association. Varsity officials hadn't arrived yet, but when they did, I told them about it. They all seemed to think I handled it exactly the way I should have, except I probably didn't need to ask the JV coach how he felt about coaching varsity. But... they did get a kick out of it, as this particular crew had problems with this varsity coach in the past, so they did say it was a little bit of sweet justice.

What say you guys?

[griblets]

Originally Posted by LRZ

griblets, let your assigner know, at the least. Around here, if something unusual occurs, most refs call the assigner to let him/her know. If you are on arbiter, you can also use the "report" function.

I appreciate that advice, but I figured that out shortly after my first year. Arbiter didn't exist when this happened over 20 years ago...heck, I didn't even have Internet access then!