A Multiple Choice Exercise

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Freddy

I appreciate the responses given to this multiple choice quiz. It is intended for use for new and prospective officials in order for them to arrive at a reasoned understanding of why they will sometimes get yelled at by coaches and why an understanding of where coaches are coming from helps in their relations with them during the game.

You didn't include parents in your multiple choice answers. Parents are tax payers who fund the school system, the sports program, the coaches salary, and the officials. Parents are also voters who influence the direction of the board of education, which in turn may influence the direction of the sports program. And, of course, parents are also fans, in some cases, very vocal fans.

Some coaches may believe that they, at some level, "work for" the parents. I've coached middle school basketball for over twenty-five years, and I've been officiating for over thirty years, so I have some understanding about how coaches think. There are coaches who will purposely get a technical foul to show to both their players, and parents, that they are willing to "stick up" for their players when they feel that their players have somehow been "wronged" by the officials. In situations like this, coaches usually realize that arguing with an official won't change the way the game is being officiated, or the outcome of the game, it's just a "game" that coaches play to show their parents that they are "doing their job". It's not personal, it's just a "game" that coaches sometimes play. If parents weren't in the stands, these technical fouls would never have to be charged.