Originally Posted by Smitty (Post 806346)

Maybe in a junior high game, but never in a high school game. If they don't know which lines matter, we have a lot more problems to worry about...

Originally Posted by JRutledge (Post 806472)

No child is calling me by my first name. I was not raised that way and I do not even call people that were adults when I was a child by their first name. It is a sign of respect and values IMO.

Peace

Originally Posted by JRutledge (Post 806507)

Actually this is more cultural. I grew up with a African-American, Southern upbringing. Everyone in my family except for a very small few exceptions were born in the south (Alabama or Florida). And in many cases they went to college in the south as well. So when people referred to my Grandmother as an example they would call her "Miss Ollie" or "Miss Jones" but never Ollie. I will never forget I called someone that was a family friend by his first name and not only did he tell my parents, my mother and father jumped down my throat for doing such.

That to me has nothing to do with where I live now or what others do. I just do not feel kids are in a position to call me by my first name and the way I was always raised. I still value that to this day to the point where my mom is a retired college professor and she will call some of her colleagues who I knew as either kids or when I attended the same university and she will refer to them by their first name and I will not know who she is talking about. Then when she says, "Dr. ......." I then know who she is talking about.

Peace

Originally Posted by cmhjordan23 (Post 806241)

What does everybody discuss other than typical sportmanship, court awareness- out of bounds, backboard, and ball retrieval by players away from court.

Originally Posted by refiator (Post 806532)

Little of the above. We are required to say the following in GA: "Coaches are your teams properly equipped and wearing their equipment properly, and we expect good sportsmanship from players, bench personnel, and coaches".....
And that's more than I'd like to say. This is no time for a rules clinic!

Originally Posted by Snaqwells (Post 806521)

I agree it's cultural, and I'll add that while we introduce ourselves here by first name, I've never had a player address me by my name. It's always "ref" or "sir." I'm in a military town now, and the religious make-up would make some think we're in the south if it wasn't for the weather and scenery.

I was raised in a conservative small town in Iowa, and I always referred to adults outside of the school by their first name. I didn't respect them less, but that was our culture.

Our kids, however, always use Mr. or Mrs. (normally with a first name, but with some adults it's the last name.) This is something we picked up from our church in Des Moines, and the trend is even stronger here.

Originally Posted by fiasco (Post 806538)

I'd rather have a kid call me by my first name to my face and respect me behind my back than a kid call me Mr. to my face and trash me behind my back.

Originally Posted by RichMSN (Post 806479)

And when you introduce yourself as "Mr. Rut" I'll say, "and I'm Rich."

My values are different (not better or worse) than yours.

Originally Posted by JRutledge (Post 806536)

And I do get that having grew up in rural Illinois. People are usually very respectful and call people by their last name with Mr or Mrs in front. It is when I got to the suburbs or kids from the suburbs of Chicago you do not hear as much of those references. But even in my church I do not know many kids that do not call the adults the way I do. Then again as an official I cannot think of many that call me by first name. Not even college players do that. And I have gotten to the point where I introduce myself with my first and last name not Mr. But they better not call me Jeff. That is not going to be acceptable. Just like I do not refer to coaches by their first name either. I just feel how you talk to people shows a certain level of respect.

Peace

Originally Posted by fiasco (Post 806538)

I'd rather have a kid call me by my first name to my face and respect me behind my back than a kid call me Mr. to my face and trash me behind my back.

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef (Post 806382)

I don't discuss anything. :p

Introduce my partners, tell captains to handle their hot-heads before we have to, and sportsmanship is our #1 concern.

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef (Post 806548)

There are guys I play pick up ball with (I'm way older than most who I play with) who call me Mr. BNR or Sir when talking to me. It's all about how folks were raised. Somebody introducing themselves as 'John' instead of 'Mr. Doe' doesn't make me think are any nicer or approachable than anybody else I'm come across in life.

Originally Posted by RichMSN (Post 806356)

"I am Mr. So and So".

Originally Posted by Hartsy (Post 806370)

I've worked with Mr. So and So, too!