What odd things do you take with you to those season games? Do you take 3 pairs of shoes, a lucky rabbits foot, 1 and a half Snickers bars, 5 whistles, a gallon of Gatorade, nothing? Anything odd? (And after reading this forum I wouldn't consider fishnets as being odd.)

It's funny that this came up today because I was just moving all of my basketball stuff that I take with me to another part of my house.
Inventory is as such:
2 of everything on clothing(not shoes)
2 different pre-game boards
1 Jump rope
1 extra set of shoe laces
1 bottle of Fabreze(just in case)
1 bottle of wrinkle remover(just in case)
1 Notebook
1 set of rulebooks, etc.
2 Blank VCR tapes
4 extra whistles, lanyards
1 knee brace
2 pens
3 index cards
1 digital voice recorder

AAR

... and a partridge in a pear tree!

sorry, couldn't resist :D

Do you bring a steamer trunk to games?

Dex and Junkie -
R U guys doing 2 shows nightly?

AAR

AAR--

How big is your house?!

But seriously, the voice recorder may not be a bad idea for mental notes and reactions. I haven't thought of that one. Although, there are some officials in Alaska that may disagree with me.


I take at least two of everything, except shoes. I also bring my shoe polish bag as well. Rule book is crucial for those half-time and end of game discussions. I also include a bottle of advil.

Two of everything we wear, except a jacket.

Knee support, ankle supports, band aides, travel sized tooth paste and mouth wash, deodorant, hair gel, Advil, and my own mix of Blue Goo and Flex-all.

Towel, pregame board, rule and case books, and note book.

You forgot the gallon drum of Advil.

but don't you get really poor mileage by having to pull that semi-trailer behind you on the way to the game?

Z

1) How lucky could the foot be if it didn't help the rabbit?

2) No matter how many snickers bars I leave with, I arive to the game with none.

3) Additional items: A small sewing kit (I stole mine from a fancy hotel); A small first aid kit (adhesive bandages, pain pills, etc.); travel size bottles of mouthwash (buy the little bottles only once and refill them from the big bottles)

To the 2 of everything list:

First I always bring 2 shoes - one shoe is worthless.

I can't believe Mark didn't get that one in first.

I add cold medicine and cough drops.

I usually do the game hopping on one foot.

Seriously, in addition to the usual stuff like a towel and a rulebook, I always have a first aid kid, some antacids (really) and my cell phone with 911 on speed dial.

Plus, of course, a bottle of coachbite antidote.

Does the kid carry your bag, or do you put the kid in the bag?

No bananas to feed the howler monkeys after halftime?

What are the blank VCR tapes for?

A young goat is an important first aid item.

LOLOLOLOLOL
Gum, I always have plenty of gum.

Agreed. It's the most important part of your pre-game. Sacrificing a goat to the officiating Gods in the dressing room before a game almost always ensures that the game will go smoothly. When I started out- many, many years ago- the practice was to sacrifice virgins. Nowadays you can't hardly find one though, and when you do they have a tendency now to get right pissed off anyway. Goats are much easier to deal with.

Page 43 of the Manual shows the proper procedure to use.

Let them eat crow, I always say.

I use the kid to run for help when I get hurt.

If the game's being taped by a school or an evaluator, they'll make you a tape if you give them one.

I can't believe this thread made it to two pages with no one mentioning fishnets!

Will wonders never cease......

Nope, first post. ;D ;)I would like to do that. Do you just give them a tape and tell them to mail it to you or what? Or do you bring a self adressed stamped envelope along? This way I wouldn't have to make my Dad videotape me everytime he comes to watch me.

Yeah, I saw you stick a piece or two in your mouth at Marquette. You chew it during the game also? Wouldn't that take some fancy mouthwork?

Whoops....got my coach glasses on today - can't see a damn thing! :D

I take about the same as many of you have mentioned, and I also take spare shoe laces. I one time wished I had an extra, and since I started carrying them, I haven't broken a lace. Who needs a rabbit's foot?

Perhaps we should attribute this to a regional difference, but all of the schools I work at in New Hampshire always provide the goat for the sacrifice.

I've never got my gum stuck to my whistle......yet. Just having the gum in my mouth keeps me from getting cottonmouth and if the game gets intense, the gum helps keep me calm, cool and collected. Also, I have a policy that if a coach has gone to hollerin, I always take 3 chomps on my gum before I respond. This helps me control my sarcasim. Plus the fresh breath factor. :)

I bring gum for before the game fresh breath...

but, since I don't chew gum once I walk out on the court...I have found that those little paper thin breathfreshners, that melt in your mouth, work great!

I carry the little pack in my jacket and pop one in my mouth right before the pre-game coaches meeting...kind of a little ritual I've gotten into. Of course, I offer them to my partner(s) and they usually take one with much appreciation.

I tried gum during a game once, and it got stuck in my whistle. I moved on to those little mints as well, and usually pop a couple in before a game. I guess I want to have that "fresh, minty breath" when I'm discussing a rule with a coach. However, I've always wondered if I chewed on a clove of garlic, that maybe the coaches wouldn't want to talk to me as much. Well, ok, at least the non-Italian coaches. ;)

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This is exactly right.
Have you seen yourself on video? I try to get one every chance I get. It is a tremendous help. Especially when you can go back and forth and see how bad the really bad calls are!!

AAR

Tapes of your own games are the most humbling thing a referee can watch, IMO. You are SURE you did this mechanic the right way, and got that call right, and look a certain way on the court. Then you watch the tape. :eek:

It's also helpful for going over positioning on certain calls - where were you when you made that call? Did you have to reach, or call outside your area? If so, was it necessary? Anytime you can get a game tape, do it. Schools are usually pretty good about making a copy if you give them a blank tape and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. But don't give them instructions, like "Make sure you focus on me". Remember, this is their team tape, so there may be times you don't show up on the screen. But it's still plenty useful.