players talking to ref's at the end of time outs

[eyezen]

Originally Posted by beachbum

With all of the important issues on this fourm, this is a trivial one, but since I am a newer guy (in skill level not age), I want your feedback.

JV or freshman high school ball. Every so often on an out of bounds play, mostly after time outs, when i am standing with the player to inbounds he will say " so, how it going ref or how are you doing today ref". I am concentrating on the job at hand and usually say something like"just fine". this usually happens during the time we are waiting for the other team to get back on the floor. I am trying to decide if the players are being sarcastic or just trying to be friendly. AND, should i even talk to them

what is the consensus on what the experienced guys do. Do you talk to them or just do what i do???????

I know it is a trivial thing....patronize me

Interesting. My experience is the exact opposite. Anytime I try to engage a player during those exact same dead times with a "boy it's hot in here" or a "really good game we got going" they usually just ignore you or stare at you like you have tentacles growing out of your head.

[Vinski]

Sometimes, during those times when there’s few seconds available I might ask a player if he/she is having fun or something like that (of course not if their getting creamed). They normally response with an enthusiastic “Yes”.
Lighten up. There’s plenty of other times to be “all business”.

[Scratch85]

Definitely engage. We are adults and surely ( I know, quit calling me Shirley) we can engage in normal conversation with a teen player without them baiting us into a situation. Don't fret it and have a little fun.

[tomegun]

Talk to the player the way you would talk to anyone else. There isn't anything that says we have to talk or act a certain way that isn't natural. I would advise the same thing for coaches. There will probably come a time when a coach/player does something to halt normal conversation. When that time comes, it will be an obvious time to not talk.

[Bishopcolle]

I once had a player approach me very politely, hand out in a questioning manner, and he politely asked me if he could ask me a question. I said, "Sure." He then very politely asked me if I could try and be in the correct position the next time I made a call....I immediately showed him the correct position for a T....Whack!

[DonInKansas]

Originally Posted by eyezen

Interesting. My experience is the exact opposite. Anytime I try to engage a player during those exact same dead times with a "boy it's hot in here" or a "really good game we got going" they usually just ignore you or stare at you like you have tentacles growing out of your head.

There's a huge difference here. The OP is not initiating coversation, he's responding to it. I usually don't make a point of talking to players outside of necessary game chatter, but if they initiate it and it's appropriate, I'm all for friendly banter.

[zm1283]

A partner and I actually had an observer tell us this year to be a little more friendly during games and not to look so serious and to look like we're having fun. I try to engage players like the OP was talking about at the end of timeouts while we're waiting for the other team. The funny thing is that girls are usually more willing to talk to you, and boys look at you like you're an alien a lot of the time.

[ref2coach]

Originally Posted by zm1283

The funny thing is that girls are usually more willing to talk to you, and boys look at you like you're an alien a lot of the time.

What is funny is that I have observed the same thing in Basketball but in Soccer the Boys will talk and banter but the Girls are serious and non talkative.

Originally Posted by eyezen

Interesting. My experience is the exact opposite. Anytime I try to engage a player during those exact same dead times with a "boy it's hot in here" or a "really good game we got going" they usually just ignore you or stare at you like you have tentacles growing out of your head.

That's cuz you ain't jiving with the kids, word?