Is It Just Me....?
 

I had game over the weekend where I didn't feel comfortable at all. I couldn't focus on my off ball match-ups, defenders on drives to the basket, and found myself constantly scanning the floor.

Sometimes we lose focus, sometimes we don't know what to look at (offensive or defensive player), sometimes we don't trust our partners, and added together we just don't have a good game.

If you have experienced this, what did you do to overcome this?

When feeling like I'm struggling to focus (normally we're talking rec ball or the end of a real blow out in a HS game), I do something to simliar to what was mentioned recently in another thread. I like to get to my spot, then go thru a "pre-play" in my mind as the ball is coming down the floor. (Okay, blue is on defense, you're in the lead we're looking in this area, right now referee this matchup blue 21 vs. white 11) I find having some consistent thought process to start a play helps me to prepare and "refocus" if you will when it is a struggle.

I had something like this happen last night. The game was a total blow-out, but I looked at the players and reminded myself that they are still playing, and it's my responsibility to do my job for them. If they can still work their butts off, when the outcome of the game has been decided for a while, then where do I get off "taking a break"?

Really focus on my primary and trust in my partner. Also, pick something to work on mechcanically like proper foul reporting, or signals. Gets me back into a battle mind set.

Thanks. I constantly talk to myself cognitively but now that I think about it, I don't believe I did Saturday. Sometimes we just forget the fundamentals.

If I find my focus wavering, I'll take a deep breath and remind myself to (re)focus.

Last night, I had a girls JV game that was a blowout and finished with a running clock. At one point in the second half, I thought my focus was starting to waver, so I took a deep breath and reminded myself that my partner and I had done a decent job with the game so far and we needed to finish the game on an equally strong note.

I also talk to myself a lot in the lead position to make sure I don't get stuck in one position or out of position.

I had the same thing the other night. For whatever reason I just couldn't get comfortable, just kind of dazed. Some of that is the ugly basketball that was being played in front of me, but that's no excuse. I think part of it was I had been partnered up with a semi-vet that I wanted to impress. I think I was thinking too much about all the little things rather than the game. Hell, one posession I forgot to put my whistle in my mouth. I told my wife when I got home I felt like a first year official that night. Moving on...

Too Many Games ...
 

Back when I was coaching middle school basketball, and officiating anywhere, any game, anytime, to pick up some extra bucks for my three kid's college educations, I would often lose focus around the third week of February. Physically, I was fine, but I struggled mentally. It was just way too much basketball.

Now that my kids are through with college, and I've retired from teaching, and coaching, I'm able to pick, and choose, the games that I want to officiate (I work for only two assigners, high school, and Catholic middle school), and have cut the number of games that I do considerably. I no longer lose focus.