Communication Skills to Coaches & Players.

[M&M Guy]

Luis - As you can see, even in this thread, communication skills are very important. In fact, usually a focus of my pre-games is the word "communication". If you look at most pre-games, it's all about how we communicate with partners, both verbally and non-verbally during a game, or how we communicate with our signals and our voices to the table, coaches, players, and fans. Who's got the last second shot? How do I know my partner now has their new primary on a rotation and I can now look off-ball to my new primary? How do I tell my partner(s) where the ball is to be put in play after a foul or violation? How do I tell my partners the coach has been warned? These things can be done through good, crisp signals, body language, or verbally, all forms of communication. Heck, the pre-game itself should be about good communication - everyone should be involved rather than one person lecturing to the rest of the crew.

Originally Posted by Offical99

I am honest with them and if they ask a question I give them the best answer I can. But I also like to talk to them and initiate the conversation. I like talking with the players. I want to let them know I am there. I find that words of encouragement to players on both teams, at both ends of the court, can really help a game and diffuse intense situations quickly.

Official99 - This is a great example of communication. I don't disagree with most of the things you've stated throughout the thread about talking to players. For example, getting in there on jump balls and scrums and using your voice to let them know you're there is a great habit to have. However, I would like to point out the part in red. That was one of the first items pointed out to you (attacked?) as not a good idea. Initiating a conversation with a player or coach, unless there is some overwhelming reason to do so, is not a good idea, especially if the reason is so they can see you're a good guy. That is what some of us were trying to point out. Maybe that wasn't your intent, but that is what you communicated in your first post.

The other issue most of us disagreed with was your comment about not fighting your partner's battles when they come to tell you they've warned a coach. Most of us feel we work as a crew, not as individuals, and we want to know if a partner has warned a coach if it's not obvious. You seem to feel differently, but instead of explaining why you feel that way, or having a conversation about the merits, you just dismiss it as attacking you. You will get a lot of information that isn't useful from this site, and a lot that is. The key for all of us is figuring out what is useful for us. Maybe you feel your skills have taken you a long way, but how do you know these suggestions won't take you further? Just something to think about.

[refhoops]

I use this site just like a camp instead of attending camps the summer, I attend this camp daily, I am here to listen and learn. I will take some of the information and incorporate into my game. Other things I will discard for a variety of reason. I will use those things that fit my personality and style. I have had partners who at times almost seem to have a running conversation with coaches during a game. I am more comfortable with short and sharp, for me I need to say it in 6 words or less. I am not saying my way of communicating with a coach is right and my partners is wrong. Short and sharp works for me and keeps my focus on the floor not with a coach. And yes, I will communicate with players on the court. I believe some of it is preventative officiating. If we need to clean up the post, when I am administering a FT I will say let's clean it up on the post. I see no harm in this as I am telling the players they can clean it or I can clean it.