I am off to my first basketball officiating expierience
 

I am leaving after lunch tomorrow to head off to Mercer Univ for a developmental camp. The camp starts Friday. My only hope right now is that this is a good camp for me to start at to learn the basics the correct way. Thanks for the insight here also. Ill be back Sunday to let you know how it went.

Lawman, don't forget to:

1. take a notebook to keep a journal
2. tell'em your new
3. have fun
4. be a good listener
5. take deep breathes
6. slow down don't rush

And NEVER say "Yeah, but..."

7. take your meds

Hi,
Great way to start. Listen, Listen, ask GOOD questions no- "What if an Alligator crawls on the court when the balls in the air during last second of a tied game" type questions.
This is an exaggeration but take it from a long time former clinitian I guarantee you will hear some ridiculous "What If" questions. Don't you ever do it or you will have everyone's eyes rolling.
Have a great clinic and good luck in your future career.

If you are brand spanking new, you need to ask as many questions as you can. The "What if" types of questions while you are at a Development Camp, are perfect and very appropriate for a brand new official like yourself. Who gives a darn if people are rolling their eyes? You need to learn somehow and asking questions are going to get you close to what you are supposed to do. Unless you are going to a camp where you are trying to get hired, then that is a different story. You are not going to get hired at some major level when you have never worked a single game before.

Most of all have a lot of fun.

Peace

With me also being a brand new official, this was some very valuable advice. Make sure you take it all in, but take it one step at a time. Good luck to you.

Thanks for the good pointers

Let us know when you are off to your first spelling experience. :D

Hey - just teasing. ;)

These are great tips. I am attending the John Holt camp in WV here soon and I shall make sure I have everything on the list with me. I too also found another solution to help me out.

I had a few of my friends who are already high school/college officials come and watch some of my games that I referee, and had them write down notes, things to work on, critiques, etc. Then during half time or between games (since I mostly do tournaments) I would look at the list and work on a few of the items on the list.

For example, I use to go and report my foul shots very quickly. Was kinda hard for someone to catch what I was saying if they weren't paying full attention. So one of my friends noticed that, wrote it down, and the next game I worked on that detail and now, I fixed that issue. Others like court positioning, three-man rotation, etc. So I just work on a few things during each game and BAM!, I am learning and becoming a better official each game that I do.

Another thing though, I take critiques very well. So if someone says you suck at reporting fouls, don't put your head down. I just look at it like 'Damn, now I know thats one way not to report a foul'. Then I would try something new until I get it right. So, don't take it to heart what someone says something; just look at it as a way not to do something!!!

Good luck and I hope to hear from ya.

-Lucas

If someone tells me "I suck at reporting fouls," I'm shutting off the volume. Constructive criticism this is not....:p

I'm the first to accept advice and criticism, if it's offered properly.

And if not proper but correct, it is not worth listening to?

Wow. The camp was well worth it. I learned a ton and officiated 12 games total this weekend which was mostly varsity teams and a few JV teams.

The first day a D1 official was with me the whole time to teach me the basics. The first game I was totally lost. I was more frustrated than I have been in a long time after that game. The next 3 games each got a little better.

Saturday got a little better also until the last game. It was my 4th game that day and physically I was fine but mentally I was done for so it wasn't that good of a game for me.

Sunday we had a close game that came down to the buzzer between 2 good varsity teams. In the last minute I was the trail official and called an offensive foul as the ball handler gave the defender a slight shove with his forearm that displaced the defender. The coach was right behind me when I made the call and from what I hear started raising hell. I was so tuned in to the game that I didn't hear a thing which totally surprised the clinician over the game. The clinician was another D1 official told me he was pleasantly surprised considering that I just started with the calls I made down the stretch in the last 2 minutes of the game that could have been deciding by the officiating. Instead the correct calls were made and the players decided the game which by the way was a last second shot.

This is not going to come as a surprise but I really have to work on my mechanics a lot and reporting. That means a ton of mirror time for me.

The really bad news is that I can't even watch a game at any level now. When I try I find myself locked on one of the officials and their rotations, coverage, call etc.

That's great news! Sounds as if you are transitioning from a "fan" to a "student" of the game. In addition to mirror time, try videotaping your games to assist in improving your mechanics.

Exactly my thoughts. Whatever the delivery, consider the information. I've gotten very valuable feedback from guys with the personality of a badger with hemorrhoids. And I've gotten polished and well presented feedback, that was completely worthless. To truly learn from others, you have to learn to divorce the information from the delivery, and sometimes even the source, and examine it on its own merits.