Important Memo to All ACAC Referees & Evaluators
18/November/2009
Important Memo to All ACAC Referees & Evaluators
Hi folks,
Welcome to a new season even though we are a month and a half into it already!
Everyone should be well into mid season form and getting comfortable with 3 person mechanics. If not, you need to study them, work scrimmages and observe your peers at games to get to a solid and comfortable foundation. If you're thinking about positioning, you are not focused on making calls and good judgment. I accept there is a learning curve for first year officials but 2nd year and beyond the mechanics should be in your back pocket now.
I've attached the updated Guidelines Tip to Horn which covers everything I can think of as it pertains to ACAC basketball. I need you to study this document so we are all working from the same game plan. While it's a general guideline with some emphasis on the specifics, it will assist in your movements on the court to get the calls right. Remember there's no magic spot, work to get open looks and accept the play!
There's a lot to cover but most of it is in the Guidelines so I will focus on three basic emphases... Court Mechanics, Patience in Accepting the Play and Leadership, Courage & Humility.
Court Mechanics...I will ask the Evaluators to observe your movements on the court. Does it look like you are comfortable, reading plays by anticipating the action and moving with purpose & confidence. If not, again more study is required.
Patience in Accepting the Play...again this is covered in Guidelines but at this level we are looking for the official in the best possible position to make the majority of calls. That means we want to be strong side as much as possible and calls should come from within your Primary Coverage. If too many calls are in your secondary, the crew is not together. Obviously, we want correct calls as well so judgment is important. As a crew and with the Evaluators we want to discuss plays. In the end, that's what the game's all about.
Leadership, Courage & Humility...leadership is not a position. Regardless of whether you are the crew chief, U1 or U2 you are expected at this level to show leadership. That might mean being a student of the game and taking care of your area and what's expected as a first, second or third year official. It means setting an example with your professionalism, effort & hustle and court & locker room presence. It means taking care of the things within your influence & control. Leadership is not being a General standing on a hill watching your troops engaging in battle. Rather it is serving the game to best of your knowledge and experience. It means supporting, directing, encouraging, leading and giving up your need to be right for "what's right" along side your peers. We're not interested in your opinions unless they are supported with facts and credibility. This will sometimes take courage and other times humility to admit a mistake and to give up control.
Courage is required to engage your expertise with some of the rough spots in a game ("one cannot climb a smooth mountain"), but it also takes humility to accept that you might not always know the best way to deal with those rough spots. You know you could use a second or third opinion. "You cannot become a great leader if you have never submitted to those who are now the leaders and have authority."
I will send a couple more memos before Christmas, but I am asking the Evaluators to observe from this vantage point. Have you worked at your game with the resources available to you on the website, at clinics, from your peers and mentors? Or are you comfortable that you know it all and there's no room for improvement or you're too old to learn something new?
Please spend some time with the Guidelines and the Art of Leadership attached.
Have a great season!
Jake Steinbrenner
ABOA Assignor / Evaluator
Hi folks,
Welcome to a new season even though we are a month and a half into it already!
Everyone should be well into mid season form and getting comfortable with 3 person mechanics. If not, you need to study them, work scrimmages and observe your peers at games to get to a solid and comfortable foundation. If you're thinking about positioning, you are not focused on making calls and good judgment. I accept there is a learning curve for first year officials but 2nd year and beyond the mechanics should be in your back pocket now.
I've attached the updated Guidelines Tip to Horn which covers everything I can think of as it pertains to ACAC basketball. I need you to study this document so we are all working from the same game plan. While it's a general guideline with some emphasis on the specifics, it will assist in your movements on the court to get the calls right. Remember there's no magic spot, work to get open looks and accept the play!
There's a lot to cover but most of it is in the Guidelines so I will focus on three basic emphases... Court Mechanics, Patience in Accepting the Play and Leadership, Courage & Humility.
Court Mechanics...I will ask the Evaluators to observe your movements on the court. Does it look like you are comfortable, reading plays by anticipating the action and moving with purpose & confidence. If not, again more study is required.
Patience in Accepting the Play...again this is covered in Guidelines but at this level we are looking for the official in the best possible position to make the majority of calls. That means we want to be strong side as much as possible and calls should come from within your Primary Coverage. If too many calls are in your secondary, the crew is not together. Obviously, we want correct calls as well so judgment is important. As a crew and with the Evaluators we want to discuss plays. In the end, that's what the game's all about.
Leadership, Courage & Humility...leadership is not a position. Regardless of whether you are the crew chief, U1 or U2 you are expected at this level to show leadership. That might mean being a student of the game and taking care of your area and what's expected as a first, second or third year official. It means setting an example with your professionalism, effort & hustle and court & locker room presence. It means taking care of the things within your influence & control. Leadership is not being a General standing on a hill watching your troops engaging in battle. Rather it is serving the game to best of your knowledge and experience. It means supporting, directing, encouraging, leading and giving up your need to be right for "what's right" along side your peers. We're not interested in your opinions unless they are supported with facts and credibility. This will sometimes take courage and other times humility to admit a mistake and to give up control.
Courage is required to engage your expertise with some of the rough spots in a game ("one cannot climb a smooth mountain"), but it also takes humility to accept that you might not always know the best way to deal with those rough spots. You know you could use a second or third opinion. "You cannot become a great leader if you have never submitted to those who are now the leaders and have authority."
I will send a couple more memos before Christmas, but I am asking the Evaluators to observe from this vantage point. Have you worked at your game with the resources available to you on the website, at clinics, from your peers and mentors? Or are you comfortable that you know it all and there's no room for improvement or you're too old to learn something new?
Please spend some time with the Guidelines and the Art of Leadership attached.
Have a great season!
Jake Steinbrenner
ABOA Assignor / Evaluator
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