Coaches who are also Officials

[RefsNCoaches]

I coached my own daughter for a number of years (she's a JR now and has since stopped playing) but I still work with our local youth program and our V Coach with summer camps and our travel team evals)....I started calling games prior to my kid starting to play.

As she moved into travel hoops, the league we played in, I was also a ref for for a few years prior. Most of the guys that called my games, I had worked with so I never had and never would tell another guy during the heat of the game, "I'm a ref/official also"...

My demeanor and how I speak to guys officiating my games will let them know I know what I'm talking about. When I have a question, it's using terms like Lead, Trail, legal guarding position etc...

I know first hand what the guys in stripes are going through. Especially at lower level where it's a mess....I don't need help from the bench when reffing and I am not going to make an a$$ out of myself when coaching. I've got kids watching me and I set the example for how I want my parents and players to act/react.

Truthfully, I'm so focused on my kids while coaching them in game that I don't really allow myself to focus on the calls...they are what they are and as we all know, no amount of complaining about a call you disagree with will make the guy with the whistle have some epiphany and change his/her mind.

I'm a far better coach because I have officiated and I think I'm a better official because I have spent time on the bench. Having the perspective from both sides has served me well in both roles over the years.

[rockyroad]

As others have said, I stopped officiating and started coaching HS ball a couple seasons ago. I have never told officials "I am an official" and never will. Most of the local guys know me. I keep my mouth shut for the most part. I did apologize to a crew in the second half of a game, and told them that they should have T'd me for a comment I made at halftime - and they really should have.

Having said that, I have been very surprised by the comments from officials to me as a coach. Things that I would never say to a coach...perfect example: my defender called for a block. I felt he had LGP and so asked the official (did not know him, from another area) what my player did wrong. Response was "He wasn't set. Gotta be set." I never said a word - just looked at him and shook my head. He then said "Maybe you should try reading a rule book every now and then, Coach." And that's when the fight started...no, I just bit my tongue and said nothing.

Another example...close game. Under 30 seconds left.Our throw-in from our own endline. Player throws the throw-in pass to point guard in back court. Official calls backcourt violation. I ask him to discuss it with his crew and make sure. His response: "I have been reffing twice as long as both of them combined. Asking them would be almost as bad as asking you. Now sit down and shut up."

So as officials, we do sometimes cause some of our own problems.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by rockyroad

As others have said, I stopped officiating and started coaching HS ball a couple seasons ago. I have never told officials "I am an official" and never will. Most of the local guys know me. I keep my mouth shut for the most part. I did apologize to a crew in the second half of a game, and told them that they should have T'd me for a comment I made at halftime - and they really should have.

Having said that, I have been very surprised by the comments from officials to me as a coach. Things that I would never say to a coach...perfect example: my defender called for a block. I felt he had LGP and so asked the official (did not know him, from another area) what my player did wrong. Response was "He wasn't set. Gotta be set." I never said a word - just looked at him and shook my head. He then said "Maybe you should try reading a rule book every now and then, Coach." And that's when the fight started...no, I just bit my tongue and said nothing.

Another example...close game. Under 30 seconds left.Our throw-in from our own endline. Player throws the throw-in pass to point guard in back court. Official calls backcourt violation. I ask him to discuss it with his crew and make sure. His response: "I have been reffing twice as long as both of them combined. Asking them would be almost as bad as asking you. Now sit down and shut up."

So as officials, we do sometimes cause some of our own problems.

Hadn't seen you post in several months. Wondered what happened to you.

[rockyroad]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Hadn't seen you post in several months. Wondered what happened to you.

Went over to the Dark Side. They offered me cookies.

[OrStBballRef]

Originally Posted by rockyroad

Went over to the Dark Side. They offered me cookies.

Out of curiosity what level are you coaching? Reason why I'm asking is I'd raise an eyebrow at the varsity level for those type of comments. If it's at the lower levels with potentially an inexperienced partner I can see that type of rules butchering with responses (not that I'm excusing it). For the guy who noted 'I've been reffing longer than these two have been alive' comment I wonder if your game was being officiated by 'that guy'

'That guy' is an infuriating partner to work with and I bet even worse to be a coach in a game he officiates when you know the rules

[rockyroad]

Originally Posted by OrStBballRef

Out of curiosity what level are you coaching? Reason why I'm asking is I'd raise an eyebrow at the varsity level for those type of comments. If it's at the lower levels with potentially an inexperienced partner I can see that type of rules butchering with responses (not that I'm excusing it). For the guy who noted 'I've been reffing longer than these two have been alive' comment I wonder if your game was being officiated by 'that guy'

'That guy' is an infuriating partner to work with and I bet even worse to be a coach in a game he officiates when you know the rules

Those comments both came in boys HS JV games. But here the crews do a JV/V doubleheader each night, so it was the same crew on the Varsity game.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by rockyroad

Went over to the Dark Side. They offered me cookies.

Seems reasonable.

[ChuckS]

Originally Posted by RefsNCoaches

I know first hand what the guys in stripes are going through. Especially at lower level where it's a mess....I don't need help from the bench when reffing and I am not going to make an a$$ out of myself when coaching. I've got kids watching me and I set the example for how I want my parents and players to act/react.

Truthfully, I'm so focused on my kids while coaching them in game that I don't really allow myself to focus on the calls...they are what they are and as we all know, no amount of complaining about a call you disagree with will make the guy with the whistle have some epiphany and change his/her mind.

Exactly! That's the part that I couldn't wrap my ahead around, he knows what it is like to officiate, and he was my partner for 4 games, and then to blow up like that. . .