Spectators as coaches, coaches as spectators

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by chseagle

APG and BNR had the best answers.

How often do you have to deal with a coach that was a vocal spectator at a previous game? (That was actually memorable or that action had to be taken concerning that coach)

After my first year of officiating I was officiating an outdoor fall BJV/MS league on outdoor courts. Being in the military I had no idea who was who around these parts. I made a long-distance call against XYZ in the last minute of my last game that night that the lone spectator on one side of the court questioned openly. Me being me and still not knowing I should ignore fans I, of course, answered him. He then said "Do you know who I am, I'm the head coach at XYZ HS" My answer in return was "Not right now you aren't, right now you're just a fan".

Though of course I would never engage in that type of conversation now, my last sentence is still the philosophy I work under.

I once had a custodian who was standing at one endline (where there were no bleachers) constantly making disparaging comments. So I finally addressed him and told him "Either you're working or you're a fan; if you are going to talk to me like a fan then you need to go sit with them, but you're not going to stand here and keep making comments to me"