Dealing with Coaches

[j51969]

Originally Posted by hoopsaddict

I'm hoping some of the vets on here can give me some advice. I am turning 21 in April doing JV/Freshman games and tend to think that coaches get on me a little more than your average official because of my age. Considering I really can pass for about 16 or 17. What are some good pointers to dealing with coaches? I had to give a coach a "T" tonight in boys freshman game after he stood up and walked toward me whinning for a travel call. In retrospect I wish I could have dealt with it different and not have given the T there. One thing I think I could have done was ask the coach he if wanted a full or a thirty. What are your thoughts?

Also another question tonight I ref'd with a official who had less experience then I do and to say the least the guy wasn't much help with game management. How do you deal with partners that tend to be a little weaker then you are while you your self our still working towards gaining confidence?

Thanks for the advice!

I had a coach the other day whose team wasn't playing very well, and he was in my partner and I for most of the 1st half. We didn't pay much attention to it except for a couple of explanations during freethrows. In the second half he admitted he was frustrated with his players and had taken it out on us in the 1st half. I turned to his bench and said "I expect to get worked a little during and game coach, and I would feel cheated if you never said anything". He laughed. I think that lets them know you are willing to listen and aren't intimitdated during your interactions. I have pinned one coach this year and he knew it was coming. I treat it like any other foul, with the same emotion. report, assess, and move on. Let one of your partners buckle him in and move opposite side. This gives him/her a chance to cool down if he feels further explanation on a foul is warranted. I have always felt if they are pissed, and you are going to stay table side with your *** in there face they deserve a little rope. That's why we pre-game T's on the coach and how we will handle it. Some guys may feel different, this is just one way of handling it.

[smginnis]

I'm "younger" too, and from my experience there is no bigger tool you can have than knowing the rules. It'll take a long time to learn all of the one offs discussed in this board, but really get your head in the book and know the rules that are most prevalent to the game and that coach's commonly complain about. If you have not experienced it already, coach's complaints tend to revolve around traveling, lane violations, and most commonly fouls.

If you can recite a few rules and show that your calls are justified by correctly applying said rules, you'll gain instant credibility.

Use definitive terms like: legal guarding position, displacement, and suspension of the three second count. Coach's realize that either, a) you know what you are talking about or b) that they might not know what they are talking about.

I think talking with coaches willhelp you gain credibility as long as they are willing to test you with a QUESTION. As said earlier, complaints and commands don't warrant a response. Of course if you don't know a certain rule, you will have to stick with your favorite blanket statement provided earlier.