New to Board-Weird Game Tonight

[Raymond]

What official who is on a "fast track" to college basketball says a coach has hated every call I've made all season? Who even thinks that way? After 7 years of officiating I wouldn't want my primary games to be of this caliber.

Hard to explain, but this whole thing just doesn't sound right. Ref'n exclusively in dysfunctional rec leagues is not a very good way to prepare for NCAA basketball. JMO

I know what it is, something I already adhered to but I heard it again in camp this summer. When you talk about basketball, talk like an official. Use officiating terms, talk about mechanics, discuss rules, talk about philosophies.

But to answering the following:

Originally Posted by dmbfan285

Basically I am putting all of this out there to see if anyone has been in this type of situation where you are approached by numerous people after the game as you are trying to leave. Me and my partner ended up waiting a good 10 minutes until the gym cleared and people left the building before we left.

Would love to hear your take on this. "Never stop learning (especially officiating)!"

I don't wait. I walk to where I need to be (locker room/bleachers/locker room) and avoid eye contact. I make myself unapproachable.

[zm1283]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Hard to explain, but this whole thing just doesn't sound right. Ref'n exclusively in dysfunctional rec leagues is not a very good way to prepare for NCAA basketball. JMO

This is exactly what I was thinking too. I don't know why anyone would even want to go straight from rec leagues to NCAA games.

dmbfan, you say you've been on a college coaching staff. What level and what did you do? At 24, I would be very surprised if you have been an actual assistant coach anywhere above the D3/NAIA level.

I just can't figure out why you wouldn't want to become high school certified and at least work varsity games for a few years before going into college games. Around here if you're just working rec games and aren't high school certified, you're not really taken seriously.

[dmbfan285]

Originally Posted by zm1283

This is exactly what I was thinking too. I don't know why anyone would even want to go straight from rec leagues to NCAA games.

dmbfan, you say you've been on a college coaching staff. What level and what did you do? At 24, I would be very surprised if you have been an actual assistant coach anywhere above the D3/NAIA level.

I just can't figure out why you wouldn't want to become high school certified and at least work varsity games for a few years before going into college games. Around here if you're just working rec games and aren't high school certified, you're not really taken seriously.

I was a graduate assistant coach for a D-1 Big East school. My duties included scouting of opponents, assisting with instruction (practice and in-game), travelling with the team, film exchange, etc.. I did that for 2 seasons.

Its not that I did not want to be HS certified but when I was in grad school (just graduated in May) my schedule did not allow me to attend meetings and classes because of my graduate schedule and travel schedule with the team.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by dmbfan285

I was a graduate assistant coach for a D-1 Big East school. My duties included scouting of opponents, assisting with instruction (practice and in-game), travelling with the team, film exchange, etc.. I did that for 2 seasons.

Its not that I did not want to be HS certified but when I was in grad school (just graduated in May) my schedule did not allow me to attend meetings and classes because of my graduate schedule and travel schedule with the team.

Then try to at least get into JuCo. I know someone who was an athletic trainer at a Big East school. I know he worked intra-murals while in college. Don't know how much HS ball he did, but he would travel from NYC to Maryland to work JuCo ball. He's in the WNBA and D-League now.

If you're trying to by-pass HS ball (it can be done) then you need to spend a lot more time in formal camps and talking about on-court situations you encounter there. Leave all this Rec League drama behind when you leave the gym. Use it for $$$, but don't expect to learn much from it.

[dmbfan285]

Thank you for the pointers there. I know the rec leagues do suck but I make good money and I know there is drama sometimes but every game I do I learn something and its a good place for me to improve my mechanics.

[JerzeeRef]

Now that school is over, and if you are serious here is the link to Central / North Jersey IAABO Board 33. At the bottom of this page is the email address of the gentleman who handles the cadet class.

[url=http://www.board33.org/]

Good luck

[btaylor64]

Originally Posted by dmbfan285

Thank you for the pointers there. I know the rec leagues do suck but I make good money and I know there is drama sometimes but every game I do I learn something and its a good place for me to improve my mechanics.

Im going to take your side on this one dmbfan. I guess just because I took a very similar road you are taking now. I worked hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of games of rec and low level AAU tournaments and even now at this point and time of my career I still go back and ref in the offseason and hope that I have some crazy, screwed up games! For the most part about 85-90% of the rec and AAU games I worked were non-competitive or I guess I should say they had no intensity about them, but I kept plugging away just trying to gain valuable experience. It never seemed to fail though that there would almost always be a screwed up game with a player, coach or fan or the fact that the game was too physical and on edge. This is when I truly learned!! And I attribute it to making me the official I am today. You can do all the HS "certified" games you want and all the college games you want, but I was getting one of those "crazy" games at LEAST once a weekend and you won't see that but maybe once in a season of college or HS ball. These games teach you game management and allow you to work on your communications whether it be with your partner(s), table crew and yes, even the coaches. It also teaches you how to control a game if your partner is very inexperienced, In other words it contributes to your "Crew Chief Mentality".

I believe as you get older and you have gained even more experience and had your "fill" of those crazy games that you will be like most on this forum and will tell people to give them up and work nothing but regular season, but those rec games in the summer are what I believe to be the true "training ground" and "baptism by fire" games. That being said though you still need to get your college and HS games in for the valued experience of not kicking a rule and the atmosphere that can come along with them. Those are different beasts in and of themselves, but learning how to manage the game and fine tuning your skills (the one none of the regular mundane fans notice) is the place for the rec league games.