tips for improving posture and balanced positioning?

[ChuckElias]

Posture was one thing that a D1 ref mentioned to me last summer. I've made a concerted effort to improve in three specific areas.

1) When standing during play or during a TO, I just try to remind myself to stand with my shoulders back and head up. Even if I have my arms crossed (during a TO), I try to keep my shoulders back. During play, I have a tendancy to lower my head as I'm concentrating. So I've just had to remind myself to keep my chin up.

2) When reporting to the table, I used to put one foot in front of the other and sort of lean toward the table. It just looked stupid. So I just make sure that I stand squarely on both feet, straighten up and try to look bigger than I am. (And here's a pre-emptive "shut up" for Dan. . .) This is something that was pointed out to me and corrected several years ago, but I see lots of officials doing it.

3) When running, in order to maintain a more athletic posture, I've started running with my hands at shoulder level at all times. This looks a little like a sprinter in a track meet. They run straight up and they keep their hands up high. This is what I try to emulate.

I think I look a little better out there now. Do any college assignors actually care about that stuff? I don't know, but I think it's helped my presentation on the court.