While somewhat broad in scope I found the several articles at this site interesting. As background, “The Connection” is a weekly newspaper group located in Northern Virginia.

Hawks coach may not find the articles about the Fairfax teams in the AAU interesting at all.
http://www.stopstart.freeserve.co.uk...e/morewink.gif


http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/...per=61&cat=105

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/...per=61&cat=105

<i>The coach of the team down by four screamed for a timeout, but they didn't have any. During the play, while he was screaming, the ball was stolen. Wickman's crew heard more than an earful from the losing side after the contest.
</i>

I hope somebody told Wickman after reading this that he should've granted the timeout, and that he earned his earful.

Coach, as I'm sure you know, granting a coach's request for a time-out is rather low on an official's priority list in situations where the ball is heavily pressured. I don't know the exact situation in that article, but if "while he was screaming, the ball was stolen", I'm not sure the request could be verified and granted. Just my two cents, but I would hesitate to say that the official earned his earful. No official gives a coach an earful over a bad coaching move. . .

I'm going to agree and disagree. Here is the actual text of the article:

<i>Jeremy Wickman, basketball referee

In his first year of refereeing, in a 9-10 McLean Youth International basketball game, the contest was tied going into the fourth quarter The parents and coaches were getting edgy. It was coming down to the wire, and one team was down by two, when the other team scored a basket to put them down by four. The coach of the team down by four screamed for a timeout, but they didn't have any. During the play, while he was screaming, the ball was stolen. Wickman's crew heard more than an earful from the losing side after the contest.</i>

The way I read this, Wickman didn't grant the timeout because they didn't have any. (Why mention that they don't have any unless that's integral to the story?)

OTOH, holy smokes, it was a 9-10 year old game. No coach or parent should ever be getting worked up about anything an official does in a game with kids this young.

Maybe he gets paid by the word?


I tend to rely rather lightly on newspaper accounts of things like this - we just don't have all the facts.

Unless the author talked to Wickman personally and verified that his reason for not granting the time out was that they had no time outs remaining, it is mere speculation on the author's part.

[Edited by Back In The Saddle on Aug 12th, 2003 at 02:43 AM]

Back to the original post
 

I am glad the article on coaches, parents, and refs made the point that coaches get the same heat as refs at times, and frequently in a much more direct and personal manner. Not to take away from what you all deal with, because you are virtually guaranteed to hear it every game. But I get to deal with winning a championship and having a parent POd because his/her daughter didn't play enough.

As for the Fairfax articles, I do wish it was a certain Montgomery County club instead. But give them their due. The Stars recruit extremely effectively, have a good stable of coaches, and consistently place high in the Region and the nation. BTW, the 13Us won nationals as well, so that's two national championships in one year for their club.

Also, Keith Hirsch is a great guy, and I would take the court against his Vogues team any day. Good to see they got some recognition for the Commonwealth games.