Just wanted to mention that I just got back from camp today. It was a Dave Hall camp and with him he had Randy McCall. Great camp, even the little things turn out to be big things in what they do to improve your game. Not often do you get two guys from the previous years final four, and one worked the championship game. Had a lot of fun, now time to heal the out of shape type wounds LOL...

cmathews,
So, ....
You gonna tell us what you learned or do we have to pay for that privilege like you did? :)
mick

I do not intend to sound mean but name dropping is always funny to me.

Sure it can be cool to be around the "stars" but what tangible (or intangible for that matter) benefit is derived from it at a camp? Granted these two are skilled officials are at the top of their game but can they TEACH?

What did you learn, how did you improve, was it worth the expense, or....did you get their autographs, take a photo opp, sit at their table for a meal?????

Pray tell, WHAT made it a great camp?

I've seen name dropping, Robmoz, and this ain't it.

Some of the things I picked up were just a step or two one way or the other make all the difference in the world. Working on coming across the baseline in a two man game, as I stepped across a kid brought the ball down the baseline towards me. Before I would have frozen to watch it come toward me, but because I had recieved a couple pointers, I stepped toward the drive, let it go by, opened up and wow the whole world was open, had a great look as he took it to the hole. Another one of the things I found to be great are that those guys, make mistakes, and if you listen to them talk it sounds like as many as we do. They also talked about playing the odds. We can't see everything, never have never will, so you try to anticpate where the most likely place that something may occur is.... and they have some great war stories LOL...

It's almost worth the price of admission for the war stories, isn't it?

yes it is....some of the things that are said and go on that you just don't know or see on tv or at the game...you might know there is dialogue but some of it would be priceless to hear...

It could be a great learning/training tool to be able to "hear" the game from a ref that is miked, unedited, in its entirity. This may sound kindy geeky but I know I would prefer that sound feed versus the game announcers.

Hey CMathews it was good to meet you. Yes Id have to agree it was a good camp. And yes Dave and Randy can both teach plus the "war" stories were worth the price of admission.

As far as what I learned, i learned more about getting angles, how to "close down" as the lead. Its important to get in the best position to call a play and not let the mechanics book dictate where we must be at all times. Both Dave and Randy talked about "game management" There are alot of officials that can call a game, but how many are very good at dealing with coaches and players? We all must strive to GET PLAYS RIGHT and work hard. Just my two cents on the camp. It was well worth the money, and a great way to meet alot of other officials. Now I cant wait for next season to start

Wyo, I agree it was good to meet you too. And I agree with all the angles and closing down and game management, it all goes hand in hand....and thank god Billy isn't someone we see hu LOL...

Wyo & Cmatthews

I attended the camp that Randy and Dave were having in Denver about a month ago. I also met a couple of officials from Wyoming (Zamora & Altin?), being a refugee of (Green River & Laramie) Wyoming myself and all.

Anyway, both Dave and Randy had some great war stories and even mentioned the Baylor v Tennessee game that had everyone up in arms a few months ago. However, I won't go into that here.

Game management and getting good angles is the montra. The mechanics book is to be used as a guideline but is secondary to getting calls right by being in the best possible position.

Great camp experience, and I look forward to going again.

I was at the "GOLD CROWN" camp in Lakewood a few weeks ago, is that the camp you were at? I was with Zamora, Alden, from Wyoming. Unless you are talking about the camp a few weeks earlier at DU?

We were at DU.

I was miked during a game a few years ago and was surprised at how much I talked.
I didn't remember that I had said that much.
It was pretty funny, and interesting. :)

Speaking of talking.
 

oatmealqueen,
Will I meet you in DeWitt?
I have a loose date with WMB.
mick