Hey everyone,

Just wondering if anyone else was at this camp that just ended? If so, what was your #? I was #24...

"Doc"

I was officiating in that AAU Boys' National at Cocoa Beach this past week, but as a member of IAABO and have worked as a staff member in previous years at IAABO camps, what was your opinion of the camp? Did you have a good experience? Would you go again? Would your recommend IAABO camps to your friends?

MTD, Sr.

Hey Mark,

To be honest, I was a little disappointed by the camp. I regularly work a college/university schedule, but I still came in with the expectation that the level of ball was going to be better for an under-17 AAU National Championships.

Don't get me wrong, I did come away with a few things to help my game, which I like and will incorporate, but with all due respect to Jacky and Donnie, I think from a camp perspective they could have added a few more touches.

For instance, they could only tape on one tape at a time, and we could have gotten our tapes dubbed but it was too hard trying to coordinate with the partner who had the game tape and Donnie. So I only came out of this camp with one taped game! Also, this is the first camp I've been to where they didn't provide at least one complimentary meal, have a shuttle to the game sites and/or a social.

I'm not going to go into all the details of the camp, but I would recommend this camp for people who are only working JV or varsity ball and not to college officials.

Good campers and staff made it worth it! Absolutely about who we meet in this avocation that lasts longer than what you learned at a camp.

Dribble, I had the same feeling last year when I worked the Phil Robinson/Nat'l Pro-Am camp down there in Orlando. The instruction and the observations were phenomenal, but the play was really disappointing.

By the way, we didn't get meals or transportation, either. Nice hotel, tho.

Chuck to you work in coach Guthrie's system?

I wish, Tommy, but no. I was given an invite when an NBA ref (who I knew from my USBL days) put in a good word for me. I went in '03 and '04. Nobody said a word to me about becoming part of the system. So I had a little heart-to-heart with a D1/NBDL official who also goes to the camp. He told me that he actually is in the system but has not ever been assigned any games.

So I figured if he was not going to get games from Mr. Guthrie and was already in the system, there was no way that I was going to get hired and get games. So I didn't attend this year. I'm spending my time and money on camps that are closer to home.

Any chance of these closer-to-home camps happening in August? I have a month to kill before school starts.

Mark, are you going to Mickey's camp?

No - I got the info from Chuck, but it's too close to the beginning of the school year and I need to be in town for the local new officials' clinic. No camp for me this year.

My son's team was in the Showcase early in the week, and AAU nationals the latter half of the week. At one game, I happened to sit next to the official taping the game, and the evaluator. We were all in the top row of the stands - which were 10-12 rows high.

The evaluator made his comments into a small tape recorder throughout the game. He was very animated, and very critical, with his comments. The game turned out to be very close and, unfortunately, his comments were easy for the fans around him to pick up on.

If you have input into the administration of camps, you might suggest that filming and evaluations be in area cordoned off from the fans - kinda the way they try to separate college coaches from the general public.

I think I might know that evaluator! He is like that. I heard he cussed someone out from our board, which he is president of. The official probably deserved that but I can understand not wanting the fans to hear the comments.

Mark, what board are you going to work for? I'm assuming you are talking about high school ball. We still have to get together sometime. I'm working games a lot still. Email me.

I know which evaluator you're talking about and in his defence, he's very passionate about the game and that comes across the wrong way.

His comments are solid though and he feels that his method of delivery is the most effective.

Personally, I loved being evaluated by him! I don't like when I've paid good coin to tell me what a great job I'm doing. I'm looking to have a fine-toothed comb run over my game and catch those one or two loose hairs that'll clean up my look.

Yeah, no need to tell me I'm doing a good job because I already know I do a good one! j/k!!! :D

Passionate he was!

But, as you say, he was right on with his comments.

A lot of his criticism revolved around the number of travels that were missed. Generally, it was the dribbler moving his pivot foot before the ball was put on the floor. One of our players has a bad habit of "stepping into his shot". He was pretty passionate about that being missed, too.

Insterestingly, the next day, we played a game with a completely different set of referees, and I bet they called 15 travels.

I also saw, for the first time, a violation called for a player running out of bounds to get around a pick.

It was funny to see referees hanging out together, swapping stories. It was cool to think all those people were working so hard to improve their game.

Mark:

I know you graduated this year, but are you attending grad school? If you are looking for another northern VA association, take a look at Cardinal (www.cboa.org)

Trust me, I already have. If I'm back in D.C. and able to officiate, I'll join either IAABO 12 or CBOA.

This year, I'll be teaching high school and reffing in New England (trying to balance out the region's height average to compensate for Chuck). When I get into grad/med school, I'll probably have to put reffing on hold for a few years, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.