working with new ref

[CYO Butch]

Originally posted by rainmaker
Around here, CYO is the worst ball to work, because so many people have attitudes. I suppose that doesn't have to apply everywhere, but there are a lot of "Little League Dads" and "Stage Moms" in the world, so I expect you'll find a least a few.

Sorry to hear about the problems with CYO in your area. Around the DC/Maryland area, they've had problems with the HS aged CYO program and they've cracked down REALLY HARD. I'm glad. As many on the board have said, everybody's got a job to do, and raving players and coaches don't belong.

Anyway, about a new official. Don't tell me. It should not make any difference. Even though I would never do it on purpose, I know I would scrutinize his/her calls on everything not totally obvious. I probably would not ride him/her because of it, but it couldn't possibly do anybody any good. Conversely, some howler monkeys would use that information as a weapon against both officials, and then who knows where that would lead. My suggestion is that you could be a little protective, possibly by warning offending complainers a little earlier than you otherwise might, but that is a far as I would recommend altering normal game behavior. At half-time, if the newbie is having problems with proper postioning, tips in that arena should probably be passed along if the situation permits. The last thing your partner wants is to miss/make calls from out-of-position spots on the floor. That kind of thing drives coaches batty and does lead to nasty letters getting written.