Pre-game meeting with coaches/captains

[BillyMac]

After intoductions and handshakes (I actually got a chest bump this season), I say, "Coaches, please be sure that your players are properly equipped and that they know how to wear their uniforms properly". Then I say, "Coaches and captains, my partner, Mr. Smith, and I will be emphasising proper sportmanship tonight".

Depending on my mood, I now go to one of two options:
Option #1: "We all (pointing to everybody in the group) have something in common, we all love the game of basketball. Please show respect for the game that we all love by respecting your opponents, your coaches, and the officials"
Option #2: Please note that my partner, Mr. Smith, and I are the only ones in this gym tonight who don't care who wins. Everyone else in this gym, the players, coaches, fans (I point to the crowd), and cheerleaders, want one of the teams to win. Mr. Smith and I don't care who wins. Please keep that in mind tonight as we make calls in this game".

I then ask my partner, the umpire, if he or she wants to add anything. Sometimes, in a girls game, to lighten the moment, I remind the captains that "if you're going to dunk, please don't hang on the rim, because we'll call a technical foul".

Notice that I don't ask for a "spokesman" captain. This was new for me this season. I'll talk to any player, captain or noncaptain, if they address me respectfully. Twenty-five years ago, there were captains or cocaptains. Now, there are tricaptains, quadcaptains, or once this season, quintcaptains. I've had colleagues ask if the "spokesman" captain was starting. This meeting was getting to be too complicated. With the coaches joining the meeting, the group got to be too large, especially with the loud music playing, so now I try to get the meeting over with as soon as possible.

[canuckrefguy]

Captains - very little because (a) they won't remember it and (b) likely won't be telling it to their teammates, either.

Coaches - very little other than making sure subs get to the table and players are out of TO's on time.

[26 Year Gap]

One kid is notorious for taking out his mouthguard & getting his handshake hand all slobbery. I do fist bumps for those games.

[johnny1784]

I do fist bumps with or without their hands being slobbery.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

From a historical perspective, the Head Coach have very little standing in the game. It is the Captain of the team that is important. The rule allowing the coach to talk to his players during a timeout and the intermissions between the first and second and third and fourth quarters have only been around since the later 1940's. The most important thing that I want the captains to know is that they and not the Head Coach is in charge of the team, i.e., the players on the court, as well as everybody (From the Head Coach to the Priest, Rabbi, and Nun sitting at the end of the bench.) on the bench. If I have a problem I am going to come to them for help.

Captians do not have realize how much power over the team they really have. I have a true story to prove my point. I am the R in the 1993 Michigan AAU Girls' 14U Championship Game, the winner goes to the National Tournament. The Head Coach of Team B is starting to become a real pain in the neck. As the Team B's Captain is dribbling the ball up the court, I tell her that she needs to get her Head Coach under control. Without missing a dribble she yells loud enough for everybody (about 200 people) in the gym to hear: "Dad, shut-up, you are embarassing me." I nearly swallowed my whistle. But we did not hear a word from him the rest of the game.

MTD, Sr.

[Adam]

Players: "Keep your shirts in and your shorts up. I know I'm supposed to say something about sportsmanship here, but I forgot what it is. Can you help me out?"
Coaches: "I'm Larry, this is Moe, and this is Curly. We will start accepting bribes in the third quarter."

[caliref]

So captains meeting I agree is very short usually like "You familiar with the rules of basketball, have any questions, lets have fun out there with a smile"

Coaches are like "coach, players properly equiped and ready to play..... here is your box..... give us a signal on time outs so we know you are not calling a play.... any questions.... .good luck."

[canuckrefguy]

Originally Posted by 26 Year Gap

One kid is notorious for taking out his mouthguard & getting his handshake hand all slobbery. I do fist bumps for those games.

Originally Posted by johnny1784

I do fist bumps with or without their hands being slobbery.

Hey - I heard the fist bump was "out" now....

[TRef21]

we get the captains, determine the spokes person. Then we go gentlemen tonight is about respect. white to talks to white blue talk to blue or whaterver any questions and go. Think about hs and college players dont tell thier team anything when they leave the conference. With the coaches we just go over introduce ourselves get a name and disgnate the head coach(we usually know who it is) say good luck and go. hs game same procedure unless its special like playoffs where our state association wants to enforce certain things like the box, etc..

[JoeTheRef]

I've taken the liberty of using pre-game pieces of other officials who I respect and consolidated into...Players are here to play, coaches are here to coach, and we're here to officiate. Coaches, your assistants are here to assist you, not us, and sportsmanship is expected. Have a good game.