Varsity coach + Girls 7th grade traveling team = bad things.
 

I'm doing a 7th grade girls traveling team game last night. The Varsity coach for the local boys team is the assistant coach. This is my first game of 2. After the game the coach comes up and intruduces himself.

"I'm **insert name here** the varsity coach. I just wanted to tell you that you missed alot of calls out there, and I could make some phone calls to **insert upper level IHSA official here** but i'm going to give you a break."

**side note... this is the umpteenth resume I've heard in my first year and I completely ignore this activity cause as far as I'm concerned he is the assistant coach of the game I just officiated and nothing more.

So... I say "Thanks for you input coach" and procede to walk away.

He walks up to my partner and does the same thing go him. My partner.. He didn't take it so well. He sais , "Are you threatening me??" They start to exchange some dialog...

I step in and tell the coach.. "The game is over coach.. its time to go"

He sais, "Let me talk" and procedes to continue with my partner..

I turn to my partner and say, "Come on lets go... time to walk away"

He refuses, so I walk away and inform Game management. By that time the coach has moved on.

The second game went without a hitch as the coach left after the first game.

I called my assignor after the game and this is NOT an isolated incident with this coach.

Why...... do these coaches feel soooo entitled to berait officials who are not varsity refs, and furthermore... Why is it not MANDITORY to have an officials room for ALL levels??

I feel your pain :(

It sounds like you handled it correctly, kudos to you.

Officials rooms at all levels??? Heck, I'm happy if the school has hot water for a shower afterwards...

you are much nicer than me, I would have probably said to him something along the lines of:

nice to meet you, I'm Fred Garvin, male prostitute


and walked away :D

but all kidding aside, the new guys working hard on middle school, freshmen and JV games are going to miss calls and a varsity coach should have enough sense to know this. That being said, I doubt he cared about who you or your partner are and he was more interested in intimidating you with who he is. Coaches are control freaks and he was doing his level best to get in your mind and control you. Walking away allowed you to control the situation and not allow him to have the upper hand.

You handled this well by walking away.

I might have been tempted to say "Tell ya what coach, let's call him right now and see what he has to say about all this" while pulling out my cell phone.

Also... don't forget that if you're still on the floor you can still T him up.

What a loser!

Walking away was obviously the right thing to do. But I'm not sure I'd do the right thing. So many possible responses come to mind:

"So, coach, are you always an ***, or only after little girls games?"

"You go right ahead. I'm sure the IHSA just loves to hear from you every time you don't like the refs in a little girls game."

"Go **** yourself."

"Good to meet you coach, I'm ***insert my name here***. I just wanted to say that your girls are really poorly coached, your game plan was completely wrong, and you underestimated your opponent. I could put in a call to ***insert principal of coach's school***. But I'm going to cut you a break."

"Gee whiz, coach. That's awfully swell of you. If you ever need, you know, change to buy your next meal or a kidney or something, look me up. I really owe you one."

"Whatever."

I like it. Offer to dial the call for him. When he backs down, T him! :D

Geeze, your channeling a lot of anger today BITS! :D

btw I like your response best:

"Go **** yourself"

When he first approched me.. I was on the court, but.. It didn't bother me.. game was over.. I let him vent and I thought that would be the end of it. he approched my partner on the sideline, but... Technically we were in the visual confines, but.. his team lost anyway, so.. What good would a T do at that point??...

I did think of that though.

Here's what my reaction would have been:

http://www.runemasterstudios.com/gra...es/roflmao.gif

Admittedly, you did the right thing by walking away from the azhbag...

I'd like to think I'd handle it the same way but there is a part of me that knows I would be tempted to go off.

I might have tried to kill him with kindness/sarcasm. "Sounds great coach, let me know when you'd like to make the call....I've got a few things I'd like to address about your coaching while we have him on the phone..."

My personal favorite, of the choices.

I've been tempted to try, "I bet you say that to all the girls." But of course, that wouldn't work for you, BITS.

I guess.. since I'm just a rookie.. I dont feel entitled to sarcasm yet.

Depending on the league a T *might* result in a future penalty (sit a game, whatever). You might have to give a flagrant T to get there in some leagues.

But you are protected by the rules in this situation. If you do this make sure it's recorded in the book and make sure the league hears about it (game report or whatever). I know in these rec league or travel league type games it's not always that organized and you may need to make some calls to get the desired result.

Edit to add that even if you don't T him then there is something in this business called "putting one in your pocket".

I'm not a big fan of that but I certainly hope the next time you see this guy you remember what a jerk he is and how he likes to push his weight around with the rookies.

Mike,
I learned a long time ago to not listen to fans or coaches in regards to their views as to how I reffed. You did a great job of handling the situation, very cool and composed. The only people I listen to are fellow reffs, they are really the only ones who totally understand the officiating situation as far as court angles and rules. Keep up the good work, that coach lost all credibility with his comments to you. A fool will reveal his stupidity rather quickly, once I discern they're out to lunch, I stop conversing with them.

The response that worked best for me, interupt with "I'm not interested.", I then would turn and walk away before they finished speaking. I would usually go find someone else to talk to so as to make him/her press the issue.
I can't remember it ever not working.

My question,

If he is a varsity coach, why is he coaching another team during the high school play-off season.

And also, the more I think about it, was this a game where ISHS officials were needed? What would ISHS would do?

Good question... Unless his team isn't very good...

It was confired though that he IS in fact who he said he was.

"When you call *insert name of whoever he's going to call*, do me a favor and tell him that you never want to see me doing one of your games again. That way I won't have to listen to you whine after any more games."

THEN you walk away...

Yeah, you *would* know about how *that* works.

LOL...*that* has *worked* pretty well for me this year. Haven't seen that a$$ again!!

"Thank you. Your team played well." Say it with as much sincerity as you can fake.

I'm betting I could make it work for me, and make him run for cover in the process. Not that there's anything wrong with that. :D

All said..........that's the best response to get his goat you can use. Shows his crapola never phased you.

Put this one away in your gym bag for future use:

Coach: "Are you getting smart with me?"
Me: "Absolutely not, Coach. I know that would be a waste of time. With you, I have to get dumb so you'll understand me."

The funny part about this, the IHSA does not care about some 7th grade travel league. They probably would laugh in his face for even calling them. Also this obviously is not an IESA game. The IESA has a very close relationship with the IHSA and has similar standards of coaches.

This is why many officials stick to HS because you do not have to deal with these things. If this was a HS game, you could write up the coach.

Peace

A better response is:

Absolutely not, for the sake of being understood I'm doing just the opposite.

my former college assignor told us to do this. he said if a coach ever says that he/she is going to call him (the assignor) we were to immediately toss the coach and tell the coach to go make the call. Always good to know when your boss has got your back!

Sent you a pm.

What is the record of his HS team? Perhaps he was recruiting! Uhh, maybe not.

He wants to call his ref buddies so you can borrow their kneepads for next time.

I'm shocked! Shocked, I tell ya!

BTW, BITS seems to have been channeling his inner Dan.

I simply can't remember what it's like to be in that position. Rookie with a coach trying to big time you.

You probably did the right thing by walking away, but I would've probably not had the same level of restraint.

In terms of having a room, fuggedaboutit. You're lucky to have a place to change clothes other than the bathroom in the hall. Back in the day I worked middle school games, we'd go dressed and simply change into our court shoes.

Walking away is usualy the best plan, but I had a coach try to use that kind of intimidation and I just said, " Coach you loose all respect when you don't show or use it." I made sure that a number of people at the table area heard and the turned away and left him standing there all alone.