Pregame conferences: Captains and Coaches

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally Posted by The Rooster

I'm looking for thoughts on Captains and Coaches pregames. (Captains and Coaches... sounds like a cereal, eh?)

For my Captains' meeting I usually go with "Good evening fellas/ladies. (I then introduce my partner and myself) Let's make sure we're pursuing victory with honor. It's real important that white talks to white and blue talks to blue. Any questions? Have a great game and good luck."

What I avoid:
"I'm so and so, this is my partner, so and so and we'll be your referees tonight." I bite the inside of my cheek when my partners say that lest I bust out laughing thinking of all the smart ash things that could be said in response...
"Help us out with the balls that go out of bounds, etc."
"Let's watch out for the hand checking."
"You're the speaking captains, so we'll listen to you."
"Are your teammates properly equipped?"

For my Coaches' meetings... I introduce my partner and myself then ask if players are properly equipped. I remind them of the coach's box and ask them to make sure they're pursuing victory with honor. I finish with "Any questions? Good luck." A handshake and out.

I don't like the "Help us out with the timeouts, thirty or full." Nor do I like the "We'll be happy to answer any questions during the game."

Anything I should add or subtract for either? Why?

Thanks.

Originally Posted by scrounge

I like to keep it VERY short and simple. Say hello, have them introduce themselves to each other, ask for their help if they see a teammate getting a little excited ("It's a LOT easier if you deal with it than if we do"), ask if they have any questions, and wish them luck.

None of that "who's the speaking captain?" nonsense. Speaking for what? There's no coin flip. No extraneous stuff. Let's just get going.

And another thing, I don't like telling them my first name. They're high school or junior high kids - it's not a meeting of equals. Maybe that's just me, but I prefer at least a little formality.

One of my partners that I had a few times was pretty much like this:

"Ok, we've got a white (or black or whatever) line all around - that's the out of bounds line. We have a center line right here [no sh##, we're standing right on it]. If the ball hits the wires or supports above the basket we're going to blow it dead. Now we want you to play with your feet, not your hands. We'll try and talk you out of stuff. Make sure you hustle in and out of timeouts. Ok, who's the speaking captain? Can you raise up your warmup jacket so I can see your number? Ok. You've been selected as captains for a reason, so we'll look to you for leadership. We want good sportsmanship tonight and your teammates and your coaches are looking for you to lead the way. Listen for the whistle and make sure to hand the ball to us. Are there any questions? Ok, shake hands one more time and good luck."

HOLY HELL DUDE! You could often see the kids rolling their eyes. Inside, mine were too.

Originally Posted by Adam

Captains: Take care of your knuckleheads so we don't have to.

It's shorter than the brief intros.

Coaches: All your players are legally equipped? Let us know on timeouts, and have them out and ready on the second horn. Questions? Good luck.

Originally Posted by Brad

"Respect each other, respect us, respect the game. Any questions?"

/Stolen

So when the coach asks, "How are you going to call the hand check tonight?" or "Are you going to call it tight, or let em see if they can play through the contact tonight?" what do you tell them? This is a couple examples of cans of worms I really don't want to open, therefore, I NEVER ask them if they have any questions.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Whistles & Stripes

So when the coach asks, "How are you going to call the hand check tonight?" or "Are you going to call it tight, or let em see if they can play through the contact tonight?" what do you tell them?

"Both ways."

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by Adam

"Both ways."

"By the book."

"Using advantage / disadvantege"


"You'll have 4 tries to figure it out."

And, no one ever asks a question like that, so it's a moot point.

[Adam]

Yep, and if he did, I'd start the game with great intel on the coach.

[Welpe]

In lower level games, I do tell the players to help us out with the ball. It probably falls on deaf ears though.

My spiel is short, thanks to the guidance from this forum.

I have worked with guys that go crazy with talks, including several phrases that they have the players repeat back several times. I think I turn 5 shades of red trying to disappear into the floor.

[Adam]

I don't tell them to get the ball until the game starts and the ball is rolling out of reach. They figure it out quick.

[mplagrow]

Originally Posted by Adam

I don't tell them to get the ball until the game starts and the ball is rolling out of reach. They figure it out quick.

I'm fat, old, and slow. I got one bad knee and the other doesn't bend. If you don't want this game to take all night, you'll shag the loose balls so I don't have to...

Or is that too much?

[Rooster]

Originally Posted by adam

i don't tell them to get the ball until the game starts and the ball is rolling out of reach. They figure it out quick.

+1

[JetMetFan]

Originally Posted by Whistles & Stripes

So when the coach asks, "How are you going to call the hand check tonight?" or "Are you going to call it tight, or let em see if they can play through the contact tonight?" what do you tell them? This is a couple examples of cans of worms I really don't want to open, therefore, I NEVER ask them if they have any questions.

I've never had a coach ask anything in the pregame about hand checks. I've had players do it, though, following the "any questions?" at the end. My response to them (with a grin on my face) is, "try hand checking someone and see what happens."

As for my speech: "Fellas/ladies, my partner(s) and I will do our best to stay out of your way. How much we get in your way is on you. You play ball, we won't bother you. You don't, then we get involved. Questions? Okay, have fun!" 15 seconds. 20 if I pause too long.

[VaTerp]

Captains meeting:

I ask for speaking captains because that is what is the custom around here. I agree that it's pretty pointless but it's what is done. So my captain's meeting is:

Intros
Who speaking for blue/white, etc?
You are captains for a reason so help us out with your teams
Sportsmanship at all times
Put the ball in the basket
Good luck

We walk over and introduce ourselves to coaches in front of their respective benches. We don't have a coaches meeting that I see some of you refer to. For coaches I just introduce myself to head coach, shake hands with assistants and then back to the HC:

Coach, you have a good box here (pointing out lines) and we ask that your team's ready to play on the 2nd horn.

For the OP, is there any particularly reasoning for the "pursuing victory with honor" line?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by VaTerp

For the OP, is there any particularly reasoning for the "pursuing victory with honor" line?

It must be personal -- I find it especially grating myself.

[VaTerp]

Originally Posted by Rich

It must be personal -- I find it especially grating myself.

Yeah, I don't like it at all. But that's just me (and apparently you too).

I think a simpler line about sportsmanship would better serve the purpose. Just asking as maybe it's a local thing like asking for speaking capts is here.

[Adam]

Yeah, I kept forgetting to mention it, but it comes across as a bit over the top. No need to get poetic.

[Rich]

Apparently it's some sportsmanship initiative in Arizona, which is where it appears the OP is from. If it's a phrase everyone uses there, fine -- where I am, kids would just roll their eyes at it.

[maven]

Originally Posted by Adam

Yeah, I kept forgetting to mention it, but it comes across as a bit over the topic. No need to get poetic.

Is that a reason to lock the thread?