In my opinion, if the evaluator comes out with that "concern" in that manner, then he's the one with the problem. I wouldn't take it with a grain of salt, just listen and say thanks, and get the hell out of Dodge. I would rather have my evaluator say "the coaches were saying something along the line of you were talking too much. Just something to consider." That would show support on my evaluator's part, and show he's not trying to throw me under the bus.

My question is, why was the evaluator talking to the coaches? I am an evaluator/assessor in soccer, I avoid coaches. I move around and observe the game from multiple locations around the field. Input from coaches is not something I need or desire.

Following the advise from others regarding limiting discussions with coaches will serve you well.

I was going to ask the same thing. More often than not, our evaluators don't go near the coaches. Sometimes they'll stop and say hi to them if they know them, but they don't go looking for input. They're too busy watching us to worry about what the coaches think.

It is not unusual for coaches to address complaints or concerns to an observer/evaluator. I work in a conference where this is accepted/expected. It's better than directly addressing the officials, IMO.

Like I always say, treat coaches the way you treat 4th graders. You don't tell a 4th grader, "Not tonight, maybe tomorrow." If you do, he hears, "Not tonight, but tomorrow, I'll have the car all warmed up at 8:am and have $50 in my pocket to give you and you can invite four friends!"

My thoughts exactly.

I agree with what has been said, limit your conversations.

I learned the hard way. Early in my career I was invited to a tournament because of a cancelation. While "pre-tournamenting" (pre-game for the whole tourney) with the two other officials, the head official brought up a point of philosophy that I hadn't heard before and hadn't been calling that way.

I knew the players very well that were in the tournament and mentioned to a couple of coaches about the point brought up in our meeting and that a couple of players (A and B) would need to adjust their games because of it. Wasn't meaning anything by it.

Later, the tournament director pulled me off a game and said you made some comments and the coach believes you are gunning for one of his players as he saw that I worked hard and called games without bias.

I said too much because I said something. Lesson learned and I have moved on. I was upset with the coach just as you are but both of us got over it and are good friends.

Reminds me of this:

http://soapboxrants.files.wordpress....-dogs-hear.jpg

There is evaluation at an 8th grade game? :rolleyes:

Peace

Hey, just because they don't take basketball seriously in Chicago doesn't mean they don't in other areas. ;)

They take is seriously enough not to listen to an 8th grade coach about anything. ;)

Peace

First of all, I agree with most that you should have just ignored the comment.

Secondly, I'm wondering if any of the board's assignors would like to chime in on that. I'm not sure that refusing to work schools at the middle school level is a great choice for an official looking to move up the ladder. Now if you had to toss a couple players or the coach and had a really ugly game, I could understand staying away from that particular team for a while, but this was just a comment that was taken the wrong way. Unfortunately the evaluator got involved. I've found at every level I've moved up through that it is very beneficial to jump when an assignor asks you to take any game.