How to get through a rough night?

[jdw3018]

Last night had two very competitive, fairly well played games. G/B Varsity doubleheader.

Anyway, I didn't feel the game went poorly for me, just that it didn't go smoothly, either. I felt slow on the whistle, let some contact go that I normally wouldn't, overall just felt a bit disengaged.

My question - anyone else ever have these nights, and what do you do to try to get back in it? How do you fight it? Maybe it's the cold I'm fighting, but I just felt like my brain was in molasses last night...

[Ignats75]

Concentrate and do the best you can. Thats about it. Force yourself and your partner(s) to have a real good post-game conference. Critique the games. Learn from it. Take a real hot shower. Get a good nights sleep.

[cmathews]

the best thing to do, get back on the horse so to speak. However if you think it might be illness...it might take getting over it first....as for the title of the thread, how to get through a rough nite...well they sell these neat little bottles at certain adult oriented beverage stores...LOL

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by jdw3018

Anyway, I didn't feel the game went poorly for me, just that it didn't go smoothly, either. I felt slow on the whistle, let some contact go that I normally wouldn't, overall just felt a bit disengaged.

1) anyone else ever have these nights
2) and what do you do to try to get back in it?
3) How do you fight it?

1) Yes
2) Just keep plugging away. Say to yourself "Self, get your head out of your azz and concentrate."
3) You don't fight it. Take 2 brownpops before going to bed and fuggedaboutit.

If you can think of a reason why you you weren't sharp, fine. Learn from it. If it was just one of those blah games, then just fuggedaboutit.

[Hartsy]

What I'm finding when I feel I have games like those is it wasn't as bad as it felt. I've been in only 4 seasons, so I figured my "bad" games would be apparent to everyone, but I've been told more than once by the Varsity crew observing my game that it was well done.

They can't all be gems.

[Scrapper1]

For me, the thing that helps me re-focus is talking to myself. Where's my matchup? Where's the defense? Which way is the arrow? Which foot is the pivot? Where's the shooter? Watch the cutter. Watch the screener.

I'm not saying that I say all that on every possession. But if I find myself drifting mentally in the game, these are the things I try to focus on, and I mentally tell myself to find them. It may sound like a silly distinction, but I'm not just standing there saying, "I wonder where my matchup is." It's almost like a command to myself. "Find the matchup". It makes me re-focus.

[rainmaker]

During the game, talk to yourself about what's happening at that moment. Talk out loud, quietly. "Legal screen, still legal, good catch, left foot pivot, off-ball, great defense!, hold the whistle...." It really helps get your focus onto the action and out of your foggy, foggy head.

[mick]

Originally Posted by jdw3018

My question - anyone else ever have these nights, and what do you do to try to get back in it? How do you fight it? Maybe it's the cold I'm fighting, but I just felt like my brain was in molasses last night...

Don't forget to have a full tank.
Get it at half-time or between games.

• Liquids
• Sugar
• Energy stuff.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

1) 3) You don't fight it. Take 2 brownpops before going to bed and fuggedaboutit.

Vicadin washed down by a Vodka & Lemonade usually does the trick for me.

As for what to do the next game, write down some of the things you did poorly in your previous game, review the list line-by-line and visualize in your head how you will handle those situations differently the next time they occur.

I find my poorer games are result of a lack of hustle and bad positioning so the next time I get on the court I really focus on getting where I need to be and getting good angles.

[JRutledge]

The first thing you need to understand that every single official that has done a single game has had a bad experience or bad night of officiating. If you understand that, then it is easier to move on from the bad experience. Just think about what went wrong and try your best to eliminate those situations. Also understand that you are not perfect and you will make mistakes in the future. You will have bad nights in the future if you officiate long enough. You kind of have to be like a CB in the NFL. Once you get burned you have forget about it and make the next play. The more you harp on the bad things, the more you will make mistakes.

Peace

[Zoochy]

Jurassic Referee... what's a 'brown pop'???

[Junker]

Everyone has these nights. I focus on stuff that I can control like hustle and mechanics. When I feel I'm not "in" a game, I run a little harder and try to snap off my mechanics nice and crisp. At least if I'm calling a crap game I can look like I'm making an effort. Another little trick I picked up from a D1 speaker at a camp (Rick Hartzell, if you ever get a chance to hear him, he does a great job) is to break the game up into segments. For example think "I'm going to be my sharpest until the next quarter break or time out" and then you know you have a little off time. It doesn't always work, but that's why I try.

[kbilla]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

During the game, talk to yourself about what's happening at that moment. Talk out loud, quietly. "Legal screen, still legal, good catch, left foot pivot, off-ball, great defense!, hold the whistle...." It really helps get your focus onto the action and out of your foggy, foggy head.

great advice rainmaker, i do the same thing and it really helps to keep me focused...so people might look at you funny for talking to yourself, it does help me to get re-focused as well....

[jeffpea]

Originally Posted by jdw3018

... I didn't feel the game went poorly for me, just that it didn't go smoothly, either. I felt slow on the whistle, let some contact go that I normally wouldn't, overall just felt a bit disengaged.

My question - anyone else ever have these nights, and what do you do to try to get back in it? How do you fight it? Maybe it's the cold I'm fighting, but I just felt like my brain was in molasses last night...

I had that type of game last night...I could sense that I wasn't as focused as I should be before the game, so here's what I did:

a)I stood a lot closer to the players in pre-game warm-ups than usual and really focused on each player shooting (I kept track of makes vs misses - 18 of 28 at one point)
b) I talked to myself during plays (like rainmaker suggested earlier) - i.e. "my ball"; "legal screen"; "good block out"; "my sideline"
c) I tried to conciously move a lot more to get better angles
d) During a TO I reviewed the game details (time, score, foul count, poss. arrow, what we've called - 2 travels, 1 illegal screen, 1 charge); DON'T "zone out" and listen to the music with a blank stare
e) I stood up during the entire half-time; didn't want to relax and lose my focus

Those things helped me improve my focus during the game. BTW it was a double OT game that had me feeling a little disappointed in our performance as a crew (bad calls, missed calls, calls out of area, clock issues, etc). Fortunately the "right team" won....

Hope that helps.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by jeffpea

d) During a TO I reviewed the game details (time, score, foul count, poss. arrow, what we've called - 2 travels, 1 illegal screen, 1 charge); DON'T "zone out" and listen to the music with a blank stare
e) I stood up during the entire half-time; didn't want to relax and lose my focus.

Excellent points!! These actually are good things to do in almost any game. Letting down the concentration often leads to problems.