Fan comment
 

Had Middle School girls game today. As I am running down the court I hear a fan yell we need to stop the game because a girl is crying. Made me laugh to myself.

Impossible. There's no crying in basketball.

James Naismith was my head coach...

In a 5/6 grade game, there was a little heavy set boy that had been a problem maker in previous games I had called with him. He hadn't really been a problem this particular day, until he comes up to me in the 3rd quarter and says, "number 11 is calling me a fatty." I look over, and number 11 is the one kid who tries his hardest but has no talent whatsoever. I was 99% that this never happened, but I honestly did not know what to do. I ended up talking to both coaches and telling them to tell their players to only talk amongst their own team. Kind of funny when I think back on it

Had a girls 6 grade travel league game yesterday and the asst. coach seemed to always be working us to call something against the other team (travel, charge, block, etc.). Opposing teams guard gets rebound starts dribbling toward 2 defensive players, turns and dribbles back away from defense. Coach cannot see guard is still dribbling and yells "TRAVEL!", then notices guard is still dribbling and says "Oh nevermind she still is dribbling"

6th grade or high school varsity, you need to nip this in the bud IMMEDIATELY. It's one thing to listen to a head coach chirp all day, but to have his assistants chirp cannot be tolerated.

+1.

Head coaches get ONE chance from me to shut their assistants up. If they don't take care of it, I do.

Interesting. Only in my 2nd year but I guess I thought that I just had thick skin. I am learning quickly that I need to speak to coaches more often as part of managing the game.

AAU game today. First quarter and asst coach yells, while seated, "That's a walk!". I'm new trail on table side. On my way by, I swing closer to the head coach than normal, "coach, I need you to keep control of your bench.". Didn't look at him as I was watching the play. I heard him politely acknowledge me, and never heard another peep from Robin.

Learning how to manage the game takes time. I'm not much further along than you, and I'm finding that this season, I'm much better at talking to coaches. In this situation, I'd go to the head coach, and ask him to remind his assistant that only the head coach should be speaking with the officials. The head coach should get the message.

Of course, if it's a 6th grade girls game, the coach may be someone who doesn't have much rules knowledge. They may look at you like your crazy, but that's fine. Be firm and brief, and move on. If they don't get the message, you have to take the next step.

Honestly, in sixth grade games, the head coach doesn't get to try to work me. Thick skin has nothing to do with it. I save my thick skin for the fans, not sixth grade coaches.

You got it again!

As the level of basketball goes down...so does my epidermis (skin) level.:cool:

Asst. coaches get NO leeway! OK...if I'm feeling "nice", the Head Coach gets A chance to take care of the "bus driver".

I remember that attitude, that I must let coaches talk to prove I have thick skin. It really doesn't benefit anyone. Just because you'll address any yapping doesn't mean you don't have thick skin. Sometimes, it's about taking control.

Snaqs is right: "Coach, control your bench" typically goes a long way.

This weekend was the opening of our Fall Rec League. Been doing it for yrs.... Score is ~ 15-2 in the first half.

I'm going down the court near the stands as the L and I notice one of the dad's just shaking his head. I said, "What?"

He said, "New year, same results."

Made me chuckle. :p

There was today in our (Junior and me) game today. Early in the second quarter of our girls' 8th grade game, I notice that the PG from the home team has two silver pellets (that is how I would describe them) in her hair. I honesty don't know how we missed them during warmups, but none-the-less, I inform the young lady and her coach that she cannot play with the hard plastic balls in her hair. The girl pleaded that they could not come out because her hair was braided through them. I told her that I could not and would not make her take them out, but she could not play with them in her hair. At that point she bursts into tears. She was replaced but less than a minute later she was back in the game with the plastice pellets out of her hair.

MTD, Sr.