How to do your best with new/sub-par officials?

[rainmaker]

The best way to look good is to make your crew look good. That goes for any position on the pecking order. If you think you shine, and your partner looks like a dork, you don't necessarily shine to anyone but yourself.

One thing I've done as I've improved is to practice a few sentences that can help the partner look better. One is to the partner before the game: How would you like us to work together? Which can lead to your knowing whether or not he or she wants suggestions, comments from you.

Another is to an unhappy coacn: He had a good look, coach. I had my attention on (anything away from what the coach is complaining about). These sentences tell the better coaches that you're not going to throw your partner under the bus, no matter what kind of mistakes they make.

Never override your partner. Never. It's okay to hustle in with some sort of suggestion, but only that person can change their own call.

Always remember that although it's importnat to do your best, and every game is importnat to those players, in the larger scheme of things, these little errors aren't really earthshaking. No matter how bad it gets, this too will pass.