Former Ref who are coaches are such ...
 

I know they are because, well I was that person. I officiated my way through college, enjoying every bit of it. I got my degree, moved cities and got a job teaching. My father in law as a assistant principal had a coach quit 1 day before the season and knew I would be interested. Thus I entered the "dark side". I still wanted so much to be an official, so i tried my very best from my little box. As you can imagine, being a still somewhat immature 24 year old first year coach. Any of you would have run me in heartbeat. But I never did. I had a hard time adjusting. I still do. But as I approach 30 I think i am a bit wiser and now know I did not do my teams any service by being a ***. This year I have refocused myself and thus my team.

I would like to say that this forum helped in my maturation as i would frequent here just to read. And I am a much happier person. So I thank you all for your posts and insights. And I am even much more proud to say that this is my last year coaching, because being on this site and reading what other officials have to say had re-energized me to return to officiating.

Should we really believe someone named "TrojanHorse"? :D

I hope you do well at whatever you do: coaching or officiating. Lord knows we need good ones in both avocations!

Back to the Lighter Side
 

Welcome back to officiating! After starting as an official, spending 7 years coaching, then going back to officiating, I can truly say I enjoy the game much more now than from the bench. Hope it works out the same for you!

I just started using the name because its the mascot where i work, I never saw it in that respect. ;) but in all truthfulness, coached half of the year last year sitting, which i think forced myself to focus on the kids..and I really enjoyed it so to my wife..but there were times that after a game she said, "I can believe that you didnt say anything"

Freddy, you know..I learned really how little control I really have as a coach.

Cows Don't Need Them ???
 

You work at a place that makes equine condoms? Cool.

TrojanHorse: You gave us a real easy straight line. I wanted to post before Mark Padgett logged on to the Forum. If I didn't do it, he certainly would have, and he's always a step, or two, quicker than me. Remember, I get paid dozens of pennies to be this funny.

Coach Control -- Really
 

Having observed coaches constantly barking orders from the bench area, then having been such a "constructive barking coach" for about three years, I tried to assess just how much of what a coach barks actually gets through to the players on the floor. What I found out was enough to put me back on the bench and let the players do what they practiced and do my additional coaching during timeouts and intermissions.
On the JV level, they seem to be able to hear, process, then execute only about 40% of what gets barked at them. On the frosh level, that goes down to a mere 25%.
That amounts to a lot of ineffective barking by a coach who thinks that s/he can realistically coach a game by constantly barking orders from the bench area.
Any one else find that to be true?

Thanks for not posting a picture!

Nice one BillyMac, You kinda get used to it but its all in fun. If you got jokes, share em.

Equine Condom,

You'll find that having been a coach, you will have an advantage when you enter the officiating world. The reverse is also true, too.

As you know, coaches appreciate a ref who is in position, even if there is a difference in opinion on a play. Each game is a new game: no holdovers from a previous game. And T up persistent, profane, or personal.

Based on some condom jokes, I guess our school should adopt the phase, "Where the big boys play":)

but you are right. I appreciate when officials worked the game as if it is the biggest game they have ever officiated. A great official in our area who worked the Barcelona games told me once, "Work every game as its the biggest game you have ever worked. It doesnt matter if its middle school, high school, girls boys. The kids are not going to play with any less effort" I had the pleasure of working my very first varsity game with him. Great time, great experience. He told me to keep it up, and I would be able to move up as far as I wanted. What the hell was I thinking to start coaching.