Coach Issues

[IchiRef]

this was a first for me...

Freshman boys. Team A shot and missed and A1 hit the ball into A's backcourt where it was retreived by A2. for some odd reason, I blew my whistle and called a backcourt violation. knowing I screwed up the second I blew my whistle, I immediately comfirmed my mistake with my partner and then gave the ball back to A for a throw-in. Meanwhile team B Varsity coach who was sitting on the bench started yelling at me about how i needed to go to the possession arrow in a situation like this. I told him he was wrong and that he was not the head coach of this game and that i would only address the freshman coach, then turned to the freshman coach and asked him to keep his bench quiet.

I thought this was over when, after the game, guess who was waiting for me outside of the locker room? you got it, the varsity coach. he was livid that I would talk to him like that and that he is Always the head coach if he is on the bench and how i was a "smart alec" etc... I spoke to him for a minute and defended myself and then attempted to walk around him to the lockerroom, when he steps infront of me, blocking me from going in the door...I wanted to throw some punches, but I ended up getting around him...

What can I do in this situation?

also I tossed the home coach in the JV game, another first. after that game a spectator, who I come to find out is the girls JV coach, was waiting for me to tell me " a good official would have done this, a good official would have done that..."

Tough night....any thoughts? anything I could have done better?

[jdw3018]

Originally Posted by IchiRef

What can I do in this situation?

Next time (hopefully there will never be a next time) don't say one word to the coach, turn around and go find game management and ask them to deal with the coach.

[jdw3018]

Oh, and a call to your assignor after the game and perhaps a report to the state depending on what happened in any sort of confrontation.

[Adam]

Do you get your games through an assignor? If so, let him know.

Your state needs to know about how he treated you as well. There is no excuse for cutting you off from the locker room and confronting you like that. His AD needs a reprimand from the state.

[rngrck]

First of all, i'd like to know why the varsity coach was on the bench to begin with. Unless at pre game he was announced as assitant coach, I would have removed him.

[kbilla]

Originally Posted by rngrck

First of all, i'd like to know why the varsity coach was on the bench to begin with. Unless at pre game he was announced as assitant coach, I would have removed him.

When is anyone "announced" as an assistant? Is this specific to a certain state?

As far as I know, it doesn't matter what he is, if he is on the bench then he is bench personnel and treated as such....do you treat the trainer differently than you treat an assistant coach?

[Corndog89]

Ichi...

First, let me say that I agree with everything other posters have said before me on this thread. There's no excuse for the coach confronting you after the game...he lost face and sounds like he couldn't deal with it and that now must be addressed with your association, state, etc. However......

Go back to the start of the confrontation...you started it when you dorked up with the IW. Not a major mistake and one easily corrected, but it was your mistake to start with (and we've all done similar "DOH's"). When the V coach started yelling that you had proceeded incorrectly (incorrectly, BTW) you had a choice to make and it sounds like you reacted defensively. Technically you were correct, but, IMO, you escalated the situation by immediately telling the V coach "You're wrong" and then directing the frosh coach to shut up his "assistant" and keep him in line. Again IMO, you put the frosh coach on a huge spot because it's rare the HS frosh coach who is an "equal" to the V head coach...the frosh coach invariably works for the V coach in some capacity and is unlikely to direct or stand up to the V coach. Now the V coach has been publically humiliated over a minor mistake in a freshman game and the proverbial molehill has grown into a mountain.

What would I have done? Being a freshman game, and even though the V coach was technically an assistant, I would have brought him and the frosh coach together and explained my mistake and that we're going POI per the rules (I don't have my rules book with me so I can't cite the exact rule). By treating the V coach (who, face it, would be my real target for pacification in light of my error) as the de facto guy-in-charge, it would probably prevent any further blow-ups. Call it game management, call it humility, call it real-politick, but I want the game to continue without unecessarily bringing on more and bigger problems. This should never have escalated into a pi$$ing contest between me and the V coach.

For me the toughest part of officiating is dealing with coaches, and when I let my emotions overcome detached calm and logic, that's when I start to have real problems. Just one guy's 2 cents worth.

[jdw3018]

Originally Posted by rngrck

First of all, i'd like to know why the varsity coach was on the bench to begin with. Unless at pre game he was announced as assitant coach, I would have removed him.

There is absolutely no basis for you to do this. And in lots of schools in different areas the frosh or JV coach is actually just a varsity assistant coach, and many times I've seen the varsity coach sit on the bench as an assistant in those instances.

[kbilla]

Originally Posted by jdw3018

There is absolutely no basis for you to do this. And in lots of schools in different areas the frosh or JV coach is actually just a varsity assistant coach, and many times I've seen the varsity coach sit on the bench as an assistant in those instances.

Exactly...I don't even know how you would know, what do you go to the HC before the game and ask what the role is of every non-uniformed person on their bench?

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by IchiRef

Meanwhile team B Varsity coach who was sitting on the bench started yelling at me about how i needed to go to the possession arrow in a situation like this. I told him he was wrong and that he was not the head coach of this game and that i would only address the freshman coach, then turned to the freshman coach and asked him to keep his bench quiet.

Don't even talk to the varsity coach. You could just whack him directly, especially if he jumps up and starts yelling aggressively, but if you want to warn, only talk to the head freshman coach. Do it calmly and with no defensiveness.

Originally Posted by IchiRef

I thought this was over when, after the game, guess who was waiting for me outside of the locker room? you got it, the varsity coach. he was livid that I would talk to him like that and that he is Always the head coach if he is on the bench and how i was a "smart alec" etc..

This is just plain wrong. Turn and walk quickly back into the gym or whereever there might be "witnesses" and find the AD or other gym managment type person.

Originally Posted by IchiRef

I spoke to him for a minute and defended myself and then attempted to walk around him to the lockerroom, when he steps infront of me, blocking me from going in the door.

DOn't talk to this guy, or defend yourself . See above.

Originally Posted by IchiRef

also I tossed the home coach in the JV game, another first. after that game a spectator, who I come to find out is the girls JV coach, was waiting for me to tell me " a good official would have done this, a good official would have done that..."

"Thank you, thank you," walking quickly away into the locker room. "Thank you, thank you". Getting away as fast as possible.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by IchiRef

this was a first for me...

Freshman boys. Team A shot and missed and A1 hit the ball into A's backcourt where it was retreived by A2. for some odd reason, I blew my whistle and called a backcourt violation. knowing I screwed up the second I blew my whistle, I immediately comfirmed my mistake with my partner and then gave the ball back to A for a throw-in. Meanwhile team B Varsity coach who was sitting on the bench started yelling at me about how i needed to go to the possession arrow in a situation like this. I told him he was wrong and that he was not the head coach of this game and that i would only address the freshman coach, then turned to the freshman coach and asked him to keep his bench quiet.

I thought this was over when, after the game, guess who was waiting for me outside of the locker room? you got it, the varsity coach. he was livid that I would talk to him like that and that he is Always the head coach if he is on the bench and how i was a "smart alec" etc... I spoke to him for a minute and defended myself and then attempted to walk around him to the lockerroom, when he steps infront of me, blocking me from going in the door...I wanted to throw some punches, but I ended up getting around him...

What can I do in this situation?

also I tossed the home coach in the JV game, another first. after that game a spectator, who I come to find out is the girls JV coach, was waiting for me to tell me " a good official would have done this, a good official would have done that..."

Tough night....any thoughts? anything I could have done better?

Definitely do not punch him. If you feel a really big need to do something, stare at his shoes.

Then write a report to your officiating governing body and/or the athletic director about the incident.

It sounds like you had little choice in seeing the V coach after the game. In this case, end the conversation as soon as you can.

[gordon30307]

Originally Posted by IchiRef

this was a first for me...

Freshman boys. Team A shot and missed and A1 hit the ball into A's backcourt where it was retreived by A2. for some odd reason, I blew my whistle and called a backcourt violation. knowing I screwed up the second I blew my whistle, I immediately comfirmed my mistake with my partner and then gave the ball back to A for a throw-in. Meanwhile team B Varsity coach who was sitting on the bench started yelling at me about how i needed to go to the possession arrow in a situation like this. I told him he was wrong and that he was not the head coach of this game and that i would only address the freshman coach, then turned to the freshman coach and asked him to keep his bench quiet.


What can I do in this situation?

also I tossed the home coach in the JV game, another first. after that game a spectator, who I come to find out is the girls JV coach, was waiting for me to tell me " a good official would have done this, a good official would have done that..."

Tough night....any thoughts? anything I could have done better?

Not being there give some thought to how you handled the mistaken back court call. Perhaps you may have said Coach I had an inadvertant whistle. I wouldn't go into any more detail than that. Inbound the ball and play on. Concerning the Varsity Coach on the bench. In theory noone can argue on how you handled it. In this case he is indeed the assistant and should not be talking to you. That being said he is the Varsity Coach and deserves a tad bit more respect than your regular run of the mill Assistant Coach.

You can be right in principle (I think you are) but asking the Freshman Coach to reign in his boss (Varsity Coach) is asking a lot. JMO.

Incidentally the confrontation outside the locker room. Totally out of line and unacceptable. Contact your Assignor and let him/her handle it.

.

[Ignats75]

The OHSAA has a form that MUST be used for all ejections. Its a four part form, and the oHSAA will fine any official that doesn't file the paperwork after an ejection. That paperwork can also be used to notify the OHSAA of any unusual or important information. I would definitely use it to file a report with the state for the conduct of the coach.

[Adam]

I can understand granting a bit of latitude when you kick something, but that goes to the head coach, not an assistant. Chances are, I wouldn't even know he was the varsity coach, as most varsity coaches around here watch games from the stands if they're watching the freshman game at all.

Sorry, but I don't really consider an IW a kicked call. Especially when it really had no negative effect except to make the official look awkward. For an assistant coach to stand up and tell everyone in the gym you're doing it wrong? And any latitude I might have given goes out the window when the coach is so blatantly wrong about the rule.

Lucky it only earned a warning, and smart that he heeded the warning. This whole confrontation after the game looks premeditated to me; can't even claim "heat of the moment."

[gordon30307]

If I know it's the Varsity Coach and he/she is on the bench they get more respect and leeway, at least from me, then the run of the mill assistant. JMO