An experiment in game management

[Back In The Saddle]

Had a soph. boys game tonight, complete with the requisite 37 fans. There were a half dozen home team kids sitting at mid-court. To say they were vocal would be an understatement.

As we came out after halftime I figured I'd see if engaging them a little might win them over. It was an admittedly shameless ploy, but worth a shot.

So I struck up a little conversation. Pretty quickly one of the kids pulls out a small air horn and asks, "Can I use this?" "Ummm, no. Can't have any artificial noisemakers. Sorry." "Not even if my friend actually makes a basket?" That made me laugh. "Tell you what, if he makes a basket I hear it go off and I look this way and it's out of sight, I'll probably let it go." "Thanks!" "Oh, and this conversation never happened."

It worked. We didn't get a bit of hassle from them the rest of the night, even though their team lost the game. The horn did go off, kind of half-heartedly once. I looked over, and the kid with horn was grinning embarrassedly. He had accidentally sat on it.

[Nevadaref]

Ask them if this game is on the radio.

[grunewar]

Bits - you counted the exact number of fans? Musta been some game......

[Juulie Downs]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

Had a soph. boys game tonight, complete with the requisite 37 fans

Wow, that's quite a crowd!. They're having their playoffs this early?!

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

There were a half dozen home team kids sitting at mid-court. To say they were vocal would be an understatement.

As we came out after halftime I figured I'd see if engaging them a little might win them over. It was an admittedly shameless ploy, but worth a shot.

So I struck up a little conversation. Pretty quickly one of the kids pulls out a small air horn and asks, "Can I use this?" "Ummm, no. Can't have any artificial noisemakers. Sorry." "Not even if my friend actually makes a basket?" That made me laugh. "Tell you what, if he makes a basket I hear it go off and I look this way and it's out of sight, I'll probably let it go." "Thanks!" "Oh, and this conversation never happened."

It worked. We didn't get a bit of hassle from them the rest of the night, even though their team lost the game. The horn did go off, kind of half-heartedly once. I looked over, and the kid with horn was grinning embarrassedly. He had accidentally sat on it.

Basketball, a tenn-age daughter, and a soon-to-be teen-age son. Yup. Great time to master the ways of the teen-age male!

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by Juulie Downs

Wow, that's quite a crowd!. They're having their playoffs this early?!

LMAO!

Originally Posted by Juulie Downs

Basketball, a tenn-age daughter, and a soon-to-be teen-age son. Yup. Great time to master the ways of the teen-age male!

I coached teenage boys for 3 years, and teenage girls for 4 years. The boys I understood. The young women: not even close!

[Juulie Downs]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

I coached teenage boys for 3 years, and teenage girls for 4 years. The boys I understood. The young women: not even close!

I think the first aid to understanding teens is to have been one. You've been a teen age boy. You haven't been a teen age girl. That short-coming can be overcome, but it's definitely not easy. I've been lucky (as a mother of 3 sons) to have been a teen-age girl and raised 2 teen-age sons (and working on a third). It's helped a lot in understanding across the lines.

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by Juulie Downs

Wow, that's quite a crowd!. They're having their playoffs this early?!

Yep, since the playoffs are what really get people excited, we're skipping right to them this year.

Originally Posted by Juulie Downs

Basketball, a tenn-age daughter, and a soon-to-be teen-age son. Yup. Great time to master the ways of the teen-age male!

Agreed. It definitely helped to have been a teen-age boy for well over two decades of my life. Just ask Shantelle, she'll tell you

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by grunewar

Bits - you counted the exact number of fans? Musta been some game......

Gotta do something with those 14 minutes before the game (15 minus the 1 minute for C/C meeting).

[fullor30]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Ask them if this game is on the radio.

Gotta ask as you're a by the book guy, what would you do?

[tjones1]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

So I struck up a little conversation. Pretty quickly one of the kids pulls out a small air horn and asks, "Can I use this?" "Ummm, no. Can't have any artificial noisemakers. Sorry." "Not even if my friend actually makes a basket?" That made me laugh. "Tell you what, if he makes a basket I hear it go off and I look this way and it's out of sight, I'll probably let it go." "Thanks!" "Oh, and this conversation never happened."

Ha Ha... priceless! This certainly made me laugh too.

[jeffpea]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

As we came out after halftime I figured I'd see if engaging them a little might win them over. It was an admittedly shameless ploy, but worth a shot.

you really didn't need the "experiment"; it's already been proven....did you ever wonder why most retails stores have an employee greet you as you enter there store? it's because studies have shown that when a person is talked to/greeted/makes contact with a store employee, they are significantly less likely to shoplift or steal during that visit.

at games where the student section is courtside and can potentially be a problem, simply introduce yourself to one or two them (you should be able to pick out the leaders of the group rather easily), and "deputize" them - "I hereby deputize you as assistant referee in charge of crowd control. I can count on you to make sure there are no problems, right? If there are any issues I'm holding you responsible........"

it works virtually every time!

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by fullor30

Gotta ask as you're a by the book guy, what would you do?

Show no mercy!

I'd tell the kid that he'll be in the parking lot listening to the game on his car radio if I hear the air horn.

Do you think that this is supposed to be fun or something? This is HS basketball. This is serious stuff.

I must now return to my regular job as the assistant to the Soup Nazi.

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by tjones1

Ha Ha... priceless! This certainly made me laugh too.

"Which one is your friend? I will go tell him what you said."

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by 26 Year Gap

"Which one is your friend? I will go tell him what you said."

Playing the role of the pot stirrer tonight, 26 Year Gap.

[Forksref]

Originally Posted by Juulie Downs

I think the first aid to understanding teens is to have been one. You've been a teen age boy. You haven't been a teen age girl. That short-coming can be overcome, but it's definitely not easy. I've been lucky (as a mother of 3 sons) to have been a teen-age girl and raised 2 teen-age sons (and working on a third). It's helped a lot in understanding across the lines.

I learned this about teen-age girls last year: FASHION COMES FIRST.

8th grade girls game. Guard passes the ball in to her teammate (They're going the length of the court.) who tucks the ball under her arm and starts to adjust her headband with both hands while WALKING toward half-court. She must have gone 10 feet before I realized something was amiss. Oops, I forgot to dribble!