Responding to Coach Speak

[Back In The Saddle]

While we don't usually want to respond to statements, we do normally want to acknowledge them in some way. As was pointed out already, the coach wants to know that he's been heard. Otherwise his/her frustration level starts to build because he feels you are ignoring him/her.

[cdoug]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

While we don't usually want to respond to statements, we do normally want to acknowledge them in some way. As was pointed out already, the coach wants to know that he's been heard. Otherwise his/her frustration level starts to build because he feels you are ignoring him/her.

So how do we go about doing this? Just an "I hear you coach" or is there a "better" way?

[JLFranges]

If I know the coach I will respond with, " I don't think they are setting illegal screens" or "I'm not keeping track of team fouls coach", in a calm, respectful manner, letting him know I am acknowledging him. Most of the time, the coach just wants to know he has your attention, and usually is o.k. after that for the rest of the game. If I don't know the coach, I will usually go over at a break and ask him what his concern is and that I will watch for that concern. These little things usually pay off big for me the rest of the game. Maybe coaching for quite a few years before becoming an official, gives me an insight to their mindset

[Rich]

I don't have any real problems with coaches anymore, just inexperienced ones who don't take a hint well. Of course, it probably took me 10-15 years to get to this point

A coach saying this will get ignored until he repeats it 2-3 times loud enough for everyone to hear. Then I'll probably put myself in a position where I'm close enough to talk privately to him, let him know I heard him, and also let him know he can talk to us, but yelling across the floor can't happen.

But if it's just a statement made quietly to me, I'll probably not respond or just say something quietly like "I just call them when they happen" and get out of his kitchen.

Some of the coaches who are considered nightmares by many are no problem for me -- they're predictable and just want to be heard and only become nightmares when they are ignored on the court. Easy way to fix that is to look them in the eye and talk to them with confidence and with as little ego as possible.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I don't have any real problems with coaches anymore, just inexperienced ones who don't take a hint well. Of course, it probably took me 10-15 years to get to this point. Some of the coaches who are considered nightmares by many are no problem for me, they're predictable and just want to be heard and only become nightmares when they are ignored on the court. Easy way to fix that is to look them in the eye and talk to them with confidence and with as little ego as possible.

Same thing for me. I've been doing this for twenty-seven years, and the number of technical fouls that I've had to give to coaches has decreased exponentially over that time period. I walk into the gym, they know me, they know that I'll hustle doing their game. They know that I will treat their game like it's the most important game being played anywhere that night. They know that I will try to communicate with them, if possible, as long as they're not distracting me. They know that if I screw up, that I will admit it, and apologize. If they have a good memory, they will also know that I will penalize unsporting conduct with a technical foul. Experience, and becoming known in your area, makes game management a lot easier. I didn't give a single technical foul to a varsity head coach last season, and only one the previous season. Now assistant coaches, subvarsity coaches, and players, that's a story for another time.

[btaylor64]

Originally Posted by cdoug

So how do we go about doing this? Just an "I hear you coach" or is there a "better" way?

No, this response is great! Just nodding your head to coaches is not enough most times. After a while, they can think you are supplying them figurative lip service. By committing a verbal response that you have heard the coach it creates more geniuneness that you have actually heard him.