Coach or first name?

[zebraman]

Originally Posted by Texas Aggie

This is bad advice. I know the first names of 80% of the varsity coaches around where I work and I would never call any by their first name on the court or in front of any other coach. I have 2 pretty good friends that are head coaches that I talk to semi-regularly and even if they played each other (which would be odd, since one coaches boys and the other girls), I would still address both as "Coach" on the court.

Just because you don't agree with it doesn't make it "bad advice." I can see validity to both sides of this one.

Until last summer, I always called coaches "coach" regardless of whether or not I knew their names. At a camp this summer, Scott Twardoski was speaking (he refs a few D-1 men's conferences including the Pac-10 and he refs WNBA as well) and he said that he used to feel that way too. Then an NBA ref that he respects highly told him that saying "coach" is an excuse to be lazy and not learn the names of each coach.

Since then, I have made it a point to find out the names of every coach that I officiate and address them by first name in games. I think that dealing with coaches has always been a strength for me (maybe my only one - ). Calling them by their first name has enhanced that relationship even more.

Just my own experience!