Stylin'

[oatmealqueen]

I had an interesting game the other night. I'll try to keep a long story as short as possible.
Girls HS Regional final Class "A" (highest class in MI)
3-whistle crew. Pre-game cut short by constant intrusions, but I had worked with these two gentlemen several other times and it had gone pretty well.
I toss, five seconds later, first of many whistles from my partners. Double bonus in the first quarter, most fouls off ball or slight contact with shooters. I honestly did not see most of what they were calling, some of it in my primary. It was a fairly clean game between two very athletic teams. Needless to say, I was a little discouraged.
Halftime, and I wanted to cover a few things (like staying in your primary and making sure that we didn't call so much that it intruded with the athletic play.) Guys got defensive!
Second half came and went, and was very exciting, still quite a few whistles. (team won at the buzzer.) Since we were in seperate dressing room areas, they took off before we could talk after the game. I thought that was odd.
My question is, if your partners style (of calling a game) is so very much different than yours, how can you find that happy medium without abandoning your style all together?
Thanks in advance.

[BktBallRef]

I can't imagine how difficult it would be, from your position. I'm sure it's difficult enough, being a woman and working with two men. But, moreso, having to dress in a separate locker room, not really having an opportunity to create an off court fellowship and not being able to have a proper pre-game.

It sounds to me that you did all you could. Changing your game to call the same nickel-dimers they were calling would probably just have made the game worse. If they're going to disregard your comments about calling out of their primary, all you can do is make sure that when you get one in your primary, that you don't drop. It's your call, take it!

In short, don't abandon you "style." Continue to call your game. Don't fish in their pond.

[oatmealqueen]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BktBallRef
I can't imagine how difficult it would be, from your position. I'm sure it's difficult enough, being a woman and working with two men. But, moreso, having to dress in a separate locker room, not really having an opportunity to create an off court fellowship and not being able to have a proper pre-game.

It sounds to me that you did all you could. Changing your game to call the same nickel-dimers they were calling would probably just have made the game worse. If they're going to disregard your comments about calling out of their primary, all you can do is make sure that when you get one in your primary, that you don't drop. It's your call, take it!

In short, don't abandon you "style." Continue to call your game. Don't fish in their pond. [/QUOTE


My exact feelings about separate locker rooms. I dislike the notion, but during tournaments they split us up. During the regular season, I share a locker room with my men partners with no problems.
BTW, the guys I worked with are brothers.

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by oatmealqueen
My exact feelings about separate locker rooms. I dislike the notion, but during tournaments they split us up. During the regular season, I share a locker room with my men partners with no problems.

I've wondered how this works. Can you give me details about the practicalities of this arrangement? I'm not averse to it, but wonder how to handle the various "delicate" things that could happen. If you'd rather, I'd be glad to receive a private e-mail.

[oatmealqueen]

Originally posted by rainmaker

I've wondered how this works. Can you give me details about the practicalities of this arrangement? I'm not averse to it, but wonder how to handle the various "delicate" things that could happen. If you'd rather, I'd be glad to receive a private e-mail.

Juulie,
I've cased the places that we go to during the year, and most have an outer room, and then maybe a bathroom that has a door that closes, or a private 'round the corner area.
Since I work with the same guys all of the time, we get a little routine going at all of the schools of who dresses when and where. So far it has worked fine, and we've been able to stay together for the pre-game bonding period.
Any other "delicate" stuff, may be handled in the closed door bathroom area.
I've only had one experience where the privacy thing broke down. My pardners are suppose to watch doors for me if I am dressing/showering. Well, a scorekeeper somehow snuck by my guys once and found me clad only in a knee brace and a hair tie. It scared the he@@ out of him. To this day, the man won't look me in the eye.

[tomegun]

Originally posted by oatmealqueen
[BBTW, the guys I worked with are brothers. [/B]

Do you mean they have the same mother and father?

[JRutledge]

I have never heard of being put in a different locker room ever. Unless you are working with someone of another gender, but we know where they are and decide when to meet for a pregame.

Peace

[BOBBYMO]

All games that I have ever worked in High school and college with a female partner...... We meet and talk about the game as soon as the game is over in one or the other locker room before we split up to our designated locker rooms.

[rcwilco]

I have had the opportunity to work a siginifcant number of games with female partners. I always try to be considerate of their comfort level and if I get there first, make sure we have two changing rooms if I know they want that. Many times they want to just use a bathroom or private area in our assigned room. Plus you know what the rooms are like at the high schools and we can judge from our experience. Sometimes we can get there a little early so that we are changed, ready for our pre game and we do not loose any time from not changing together. While I tend to be very cautious of any situations that could be misconstrued or even have the slightest chance of impropriety, I am usually comfortable with what they want, (maybe from my years with the paramedics in Boise). I also make myself available after a game to talk if at all possible. I want to make sure that the focus is on us as partners and a team.

[rainmaker]

Thanks for the suggestions. I feel a little guilty for re-directing your post, omq, in a tangential direction, so I'm going to ask a question here about the original subject, and then start a new thread for the "locker rooms" question.

I agree about the styles question. It's a sticky subject for newbies, too. For me the problem is to gain enough self-control to have any choice about adapting my style. When to adapt, then becomes the next issue, as you point out. In your situation, how much did you adjust? Did the others even try to adjust? I've wondered how this works when refs are from different areas, especailly at state and regional tourneys. You've worked a number of state and regionals in the past, omq, haven't you? How was it different this time?

[oatmealqueen]

Originally posted by rainmaker
In your situation, how much did you adjust? Did the others even try to adjust? I've wondered how this works when refs are from different areas, especailly at state and regional tourneys. You've worked a number of state and regionals in the past, omq, haven't you? How was it different this time?

In my experience, I've tried not to change what I feel I do best.
This time was a little different, so many whistles when, IMO, there wasn't a heck of a lot going on.
The farther into the tournament we go, it seems most of the time that with a serious pre-game, we can arrive at a pretty common mindset about our game.
I believe that the biggest problem with my regional game was a poor and disrupted pre-game, and two guys who wanted the focus on them, maybe just a little.(this last statement is a huge assumption on my part) Nobody would do that, right?

[oatmealqueen]

Originally posted by tomegun

Do you mean they have the same mother and father? [/B]

Yes

[oatmealqueen]

Originally posted by BOBBYMO
All games that I have ever worked in High school and college with a female partner...... We meet and talk about the game as soon as the game is over in one or the other locker room before we split up to our designated locker rooms.

Usually, when I am working with male partners, and they place us in separate locker rooms, I dress then go and meet with them. Halftime = we go to one locker room.
End of game = same place, talk, go to my room, change then meet again when dressed.
This regional after I was dressed and went to see them, they made like Elvis.

[oatmealqueen]

Originally posted by BOBBYMO
All games that I have ever worked in High school and college with a female partner...... We meet and talk about the game as soon as the game is over in one or the other locker room before we split up to our designated locker rooms.

Usually, when I am working with male partners, and they place us in separate locker rooms, I dress then go and meet with them. Halftime = we go to one locker room.
End of game = same place, talk, go to my room, change then meet again when dressed.
This regional after I was dressed and went to see them, they made like Elvis.

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by oatmealqueen
This regional after I was dressed and went to see them, they made like Elvis.

I'm sorry, but I'm completely pop-culture challenged. What in the world is "made like Elvis"?!?