The coach/official relationship is fascinating. The list of complaints about officials from coaches and administrators is long and never really ends. One of the entries of this blog is dedicated to relaying common complaints from coaches. From our side of the fence, coaches try to intimidate and badger us in the hopes of getting every call in their favor. They are ignorant, and often times the enemy, preventing us from doing our jobs peacefully.
What's wrong with that picture? It's untrue. While both sides can feel those ways at times, it is quite common that a mutual respect can be attained. We both know what each other needs to do. However, as human beings, we all have our own ideas about how to get it done. Some say the coach/official relationship is like a marriage, where mutual respect needs to be there to maintain a bond through minor disagreements. The problem is, the officials need to always maintain composure and act professionally at all times. We need to be the bigger person when things get emotional and personal.
Which brings me to the point of this entry. We all deal with aggressive coaches who can get very emotional and vocal during games. Some of these guys are just great when they are winning, and become difficult when games or individual calls don't go their way. As officials, we categorize these coaches. When an aggressive coach usually makes good points, he is "competitive". When a coach rants and raves about non-issues, he is "irrational". When a coach begs frequently, he is "whiny". Fair or unfair, these labels follow coaches, and they can have an effect on how we do our jobs, and manages the games.
I don't believe that a vocal coach means that he is against the officials. I am certain that there are coaches that hate officials, or will try to intimidate or badger officials into giving them that one call that may make a difference between winning or losing a 1-point game. However, I believe the best mindset for us is to be innocent and oblivious. We need to assume that players and coaches have no ill intentions.
Coaches, especially the best ones, hate to lose. The spend tons or time, energy, and passion into trying to win games by directing their players. During the game, that energy and passion has to go somewhere, especially when things don't go as planned. Players don't execute perfectly. Coach tells a player to do X and Y. Player does A and B. Coach asks why, and never gets a good answer. What's the result? Frustration. Same thing goes with calls the coach doesn't like, and despite our egos, we miss lots of calls. No good answer? More frustration.
Frustration results in energy having to go somewhere. Some coaches--and people--bottle it up. It may or may not explode. Others vent. Where can the coach vent? He can rip the players, and often does. He can passionately direct his team, and often does. However, you cannot spend 32 or 40 minutes doing that. The players will burn out and tune him out. What does that leave? The officials...
Some coaches like to scream "Travel!" throughout the game, even when they know that you have tuned them out? Why? Some say that it is in the hopes that they get that one travel call. I prefer to believe that it is just energy that has to go somewhere. Is it annoying? Yes. Is it any different than a 4-year-old boy who is so full of energy that he cannot sit still? No! Coaches cannot ride a treadmill during a game. They cannot sprint around. They cannot scream at the table. They cannot yell at the opponent, or tell their AD to jump in a lake. But they can vent on officials, for the most part, without penalty. It's accepted.
Next time you have a vocal coach that is not getting personal, instead of thinking he's being overly critical and annoying, try to remember that he has competitive energy and frustration built up that has to go somewhere. That small amount of empathy might help you deal with the coach better, and also keep your focus on doing what is best for the game--players and coaches--instead of getting annoyed with high maintenance coach. I know when I head the "Travel!" 25 times in a game, it doesn't bother me a bit. It makes me feel good that the coach is working that hard. It's not fun for me, but it is good for the game as long as I am not affected!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Pre-Game Warriors: Walk The Walk
Pre-games are an important part of preparing for each game. Clinicians will beat it into all of our brains how important they are. Some guys like them. Some guys hate them. Like athletes, we all probably have our own styles and routines to get ready for games.
This year was funny for me. On about 5 occasions, I had what I call Pre-Game Warriors on the warpath in the dressing room before the game. These guys felt it important to spend between 15 and 45 minutes going over any possible scenario that could happen during a game. And the really funny part is, on every one of those occasions, the Warrior went out and did not follow what he covered in his extended pre-game. Every time.
On the flip side, I had a couple of buddies who were disappointed in the lack of a pre-game done prior to one of their games, and they felt that the lack of a pre-game hurt their personal performance, and that the crew wasn't the greatest either.
I think you can have a very good and effective pre-game in 5 minutes. If my life depended on a pre-game, here's what I would cover:
1. First and foremost, we cannot allow any non-basketball stuff to happen on the court. Cheap shots and dead ball contact must be penalized immediately. Pay attention during dead balls. Small things like shoving, chucking cutters, and using the upper body to fight in the post must be addressed. I don't care if you talk to the players, warn them, call personal fouls, or whack them--just take care of it so blood is not spilled and nobody is carted off with an injury. If they wouldn't do it to a buddy in a pickup game, they shouldn't be doing it on our floor.
2. We must limit negative emotions. Players and coaches will react to calls. We need to understand their emotions. We have to give them a couple of seconds to react, because we do miss calls, and sometimes they perceive we missed them. However, we must move on. Games don't stop because of a bad call. Again, just address it however you have to. Use your communications and people skills to de-escalate negative emotions.
3. Decide how the transition between the C and T will occur as the ball crosses half court.
4. Decide who is taking block/charge calls on strong-side drives between the T and the L.
5. Decide if you want to "hand-off" to a partner if you call a 5th foul on a player. I "hand-off" every single time.
6. Decide how to handle a T. I get goofy when I call them, so I want a partner to hear what I have, and then play quarterback, and tell me where to go, and what to do.
7. Last, if you come in to help, you have to be 100%. If I ask you if you had a good look, you missed it, but you can decide whether you want my help. If you passed on a foul, "Yes, I had a good look," will cause me to go away quickly. Don't offer me help unless you are 100%, even if I ask for it. Don't ever guess when offering help.
Done. If folks want to chat about other things, that is just fine. But make sure that if you want a long and extended pre-game, that you are not just dry humping your partners. Walk the walk. Talking the talk is for posers.
This year was funny for me. On about 5 occasions, I had what I call Pre-Game Warriors on the warpath in the dressing room before the game. These guys felt it important to spend between 15 and 45 minutes going over any possible scenario that could happen during a game. And the really funny part is, on every one of those occasions, the Warrior went out and did not follow what he covered in his extended pre-game. Every time.
On the flip side, I had a couple of buddies who were disappointed in the lack of a pre-game done prior to one of their games, and they felt that the lack of a pre-game hurt their personal performance, and that the crew wasn't the greatest either.
I think you can have a very good and effective pre-game in 5 minutes. If my life depended on a pre-game, here's what I would cover:
1. First and foremost, we cannot allow any non-basketball stuff to happen on the court. Cheap shots and dead ball contact must be penalized immediately. Pay attention during dead balls. Small things like shoving, chucking cutters, and using the upper body to fight in the post must be addressed. I don't care if you talk to the players, warn them, call personal fouls, or whack them--just take care of it so blood is not spilled and nobody is carted off with an injury. If they wouldn't do it to a buddy in a pickup game, they shouldn't be doing it on our floor.
2. We must limit negative emotions. Players and coaches will react to calls. We need to understand their emotions. We have to give them a couple of seconds to react, because we do miss calls, and sometimes they perceive we missed them. However, we must move on. Games don't stop because of a bad call. Again, just address it however you have to. Use your communications and people skills to de-escalate negative emotions.
3. Decide how the transition between the C and T will occur as the ball crosses half court.
4. Decide who is taking block/charge calls on strong-side drives between the T and the L.
5. Decide if you want to "hand-off" to a partner if you call a 5th foul on a player. I "hand-off" every single time.
6. Decide how to handle a T. I get goofy when I call them, so I want a partner to hear what I have, and then play quarterback, and tell me where to go, and what to do.
7. Last, if you come in to help, you have to be 100%. If I ask you if you had a good look, you missed it, but you can decide whether you want my help. If you passed on a foul, "Yes, I had a good look," will cause me to go away quickly. Don't offer me help unless you are 100%, even if I ask for it. Don't ever guess when offering help.
Done. If folks want to chat about other things, that is just fine. But make sure that if you want a long and extended pre-game, that you are not just dry humping your partners. Walk the walk. Talking the talk is for posers.
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