when i was a senior in HS and freshman at fullerton (so i was 18/19 years old) me and 2 other friends coached a little league team comprised of 11-12 year olds. it was REALLY cool. we were more like older brothers than "grown ups" to them because of our age and it really helped us bond better with the kids. the 2nd year we coached we had a GREAT team and lost the champ game in extra innings - and would have won that game easy if our star pitcher had been allowed to pitch the full 7 innings of regulation - and not just 5. out star pitcher was something special - and i knew it - and he later played in MLB for a few seasons - so you know how good he was then!
i hoop it up with the guys a few days a week, too
i also ref about 450-500 hoops games a year - ranging from HS to adult leagues to kids' leagues.
with that in mind - here are some TIPS to dealing with officials - especially hoops:
**coach - contrary to what you may think - i DID see the ball go off the other team even though i am giving them the ball. i also saw your player go over the back and foul the other team causing the player to knock the ball out of bounds. i am giving them the ball even though they knocked it out of bounds because i don't want to call a foul on your player. now, coach, what were you saying about who should get the ball? would you rather i call the foul aginst your star player - and that would be his 4th meaning 1 more and he is out of the game - or would you rather have me give the other team the ball even though they knocked it out of bounds and NOT give your star player the foul? that's what i thougt!
**coach - i agree - he did take an extra step/carry the ball over bringing the ball up the court. NO - i am NOT going to call it for in this league the kids can't play defense until they get to the 3 point line on the other side of the court. see - the reason i don't call traveling/carrying/double dribble is because what advantage is gained by me doing so? your guys are Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay on the other end of the court and if the kid takes an extra step and your guys are 50 feet away - so what? and also - if your kid ever does that - i am NOT calling that, either. you're welcome coach
**coach - i know you didn't see him push the defender out of the way to get the rebound - but trust me, he did. he pushed off a few seconds earlier to create the opening for the board. i was NOT going to call it if the action had no impact on the play - but once the ball landed right where your guy pushed the other guy out of the way - i had no choice but to call it even though it happened 3 seconds earlier when you weren't looking - and i was since i was under the basket 3 feet from the play. by letting it go until a call had to be made i let the kids play and if the play has no impact or advantage gained - i let it go.
the ONE thing EVERY coach needs to know is i am HUMAN! i make mistakes - i miss calls. not often - for i have a partner - but i do make mistakes. what YOU call a mistake and what i call a mistake might be 2 different things, though. also - the more you flap your gums on EVERY SINGLE CALL - especially when i am 100% right and we both know it - the more i am going to tune you out so that the times you do complain - and you are right - i don't care for the last 9 times you begged for a call you were wrong all 9 times so i just assumed this is the 10th time you were wrong. see, the less a coach bitches and complains about a call - the more i am willing to listen to him/her when they DO ***** and complain. if i do miss a call, the next time i run up/down the court, just say something to me - something only we can hear - and be professional about it. the less you complain about calls that are 50/50 calls - the more likely you are to get that 50/50 call YOUR way the next time there is a 50/50 call. see - i am human and while i am supposed to be objective - sometimes i am SUBjective. the coach who bitches at me all the time is less likely to get the next call than someone who isn't riding my back every time down the court. i figure the coach who does minimal - at most - complaining - and then does complain - really WAS "wronged" because when i have made calls he could have bitched at big time - he didn't - so this time - maybe i DID make the mistake.
just something for all to consider
oh, yeah, one more thing: when doing kids' games - the kids with the HOT mommies are rewarded more than those with ugly mommies. there is one kid in particular - his mother used to sit around the midcourt sidelines. because this is So Cal - she almost always wore capri pants and a TIGHT white sweater. she also had a GREAT rack. when her kid made a basket, or free throw - she would leap up off her chair, throw he arms high above her head, and get excited for her kid. the refs ALL knew this so whenever the kid made a hoop - we IMMEDIATELY looked over to the mom to see her jump off her chair - and then watch her rather large boobies bounce up and down for a few seconds afterwards. whenever this kid drove the lane he got the benefit of the doubt because it meant his mother and her tight sweater and big rack would make the refs VERY happy! HONEST! (and i know someone like Dante will chime in here with a: Yeah, so tell us something we DON'T know, Winkyduck!)