Issue 27, March 1, 2002
MACBOA Newsletter

In this Issue:

• Remarks from the Supervisor of Officials: Donnee L. Gray
• MACBOA Congratulates National Ranked Women's Teams
• MACBOA Congratulates National Ranked Men's Teams
• MACBOA and Men's Wearhouse Corporate V.I.P Member Program
• Contributing Article: Courtside Manners (Frank Stocklin)
• Contributing Article: Communication Factor (Ike Relacion)
• New MACBOA Corporate Sponsor: E'Lite Advantage Connection
• Stats On Macboa.org
• Member News and Accomplishment
• Submitting Articles for MACBOA Consideration
• New MACBOA-logo Fox-40 Classic Whistles
• MACBOA Volunteers
• Newsletter Contact/Information

Remarks from the Supervisor of Officials: Donnee L. Gray

To Officials:

Congratulations to the following staff selected to officiate the Women's Maryland JUCO Tournament at Garrett Community College (2/19 – 2/24/02):

(*) Championship Game Assignment

Congratulations to the following staff selected to officiate the Maryland JUCO Tournament at Frederick Community College (2/19 – 2/24/02):

(*) Denotes Championship Assignment

Other Announcements:

* Officials are reminded to notify the MACBOA office immediately if there is a change of address or phone number. You may e-mail changes to macboa1@aol.com or dgray@macboa.org. The necessary changes will be uploaded on to the "Members Only" section of the www.macboa.org web site. Please check the web site for correct addresses, phone numbers and email address. They are updated on a regular bases.

*If you know anyone interested in being considered for MACBOA staff next season, or know of a young official who could benefit from attending camp, please contact or have them contact me at 301-283-6807 or via e-mail at dgray@macboa.org. The Time Out Referee School will be held at The American University (www.american.edu), Washington, D.C. The school/camp is tentatively scheduled for the second weekend in July. The Time Out Referee School includes lectures, demonstrations, film and video viewing of on-court officiating during top-level basketball competition. The staff will work with each attendee individually to provide administration and leadership skills. After being observed at Time Out Referee School by various collegiate supervisors, participants of the school have been selected to work D-I level basketball. Further details will follow. Officials returning to the staff next season and selected to attend camp will be notified.

MACBOA Congratulates National Ranked Men's Teams

MACBOA is very pleased and honored to announce that we service 3 NATIONALLY ranked men's teams by the NJCAA Service Bureau (effective February 28, 2002):

Allegany College of Maryland ranked #8 in the nation (Division I), Head Coach Bob Kirk

Cecil Community College ranked #2 in the nation (Division II), Head Coach Bill Lewitt

Frederick Community College ranked #14 in the nation (Division II), Head Coach Dave Miller

MACBOA congratulates these institutions for their accomplishments!

MACBOA and Men's Wearhouse V.I.P Corporate Member Program

MACBOA members may know shop at over 410 Men's Wearhouse stores across the country and save even more with the MACBOA Men's Wearhouse V.I.P Corporate Member card.

To take advantage of the MACBOA and Men's Wearhouse V.I.P Corporate Member Program, you will need your assigned ID and password to obtain information located in the "Members Only" section of the MACBOA web site.

The Men's Wearhouse offers tailored and dress casual clothing, plus formal wear, in a wide selection of styles and sizes, including Big & Tall. Prices are typically 20%-30% less on many of the same designer labels you'll find in department stores. The Men's Wearhouse will outfit you from head to toe, with a shoe department in every location. Present your MACBOA V.I.P membership card and receive 10% off any regular priced merchandise.

Visit www.menswearhouse.com or call 800-776-SUIT (7848) for the store nearest you.

10 Store(s) within 30 Miles of: 2700 F St NW Washington, DC

COURTSIDE MANNERS (By Frank Stocklin)

This has nothing to do with rules or mechanics but rather it deals with how as an official, you can use some common rules of sense & courtesy to make your games go better & of course perhaps allow you to maximize your officiating potential. Following are some suggestions for handling game situations:

1.Find out the name of each head coach, so that when you introduce yourself before the game starts, you can say something like "Hello Coach Jones, I'm Jim Smith. Have a great game." You would do this in your normal work environment so why not here. Most likely the coach will be somewhat impressed that you took the time to find out his name & this is a good beginning to establishing a professional relationship. You only get one chance to firm a first impression. If you have worked his/her games before something like "Coach Jones I'm Jim Smith, it is nice to see you again, have a great game."

2.The entire crew should introduce themselves to the table personnel. We all know they can make or break your game. Ask them if they have any questions. If you sense that they are not that experienced, perhaps spend a minute or two getting them relaxed & assuring them that you all are a team & the officiating crew will work with them thru any problems that may arise. The officials of course should be extra diligent to make sure the "scoring table" portion of the game goes well. This includes recording of fouls, clock operation, scores, AP arrow etc. The entire crew needs to be involved-don't leave anything to chance. Near the end of the game, take a moment usually around a time out, to recognize if the table folks have done an excellent job just as you would in your regular work environment with people who work with or for you. Tell them they have done an excellent job. This is just good management practice & relationship building. Many of these people are volunteers & perform a difficult job. If you have never operated a shot clock-try it & see how difficult it is. You will then have an appreciation for someone who does it well & thank him or her for his or her efforts in making your game goes smoothly. Remember that the officials are ultimately responsible for table performance. So if you have a great table, make sure they know it.

3. As you meet with the team captains, don't waste your time & theirs with the obvious & archaic statement like "Ok, you will be red & you will be white & it's the black line all around." That conveys zero information & probably gives them the impression that you are out of touch with today's game. Treat them as intelligent young people, learn their first names & explain that you expect them to help manage their respective teams & you will ask for their help should a situation arise. You will be surprised at how effective this will be during the game .It helps you avoid getting into a discussion with a problem player that may escalate into a technical foul(s). You will then be perceived as being part of the problem rather than an official who can effectively manage a game. Team captains are usually strong leaders & teammates will usually listen to them. Coaches will appreciate this & in many cases will recognize the problem & help in the resolution. The successful collegiate officials all have the people management skills to effectively deal with difficult emotional situations & still get the officiating job done. Sometimes you cannot easily avoid having a discussion with a player who is misbehaving. Rather than using the authoritarian approach & challenging the player, you might try the following: "You are too good of a player to be acting up & I cannot allow you to continue-it is not fair to you or your team."Of course there are times when despite the fact that you have done all of the above, you should & must call a technical foul .It will be more easily accepted if you follow the steps to attempt to preclude it.

4.As in normal interpersonal communications "thank you's" & "please" go a long way to getting people to work well together. During a game there are numerous opportunities to use these common courtesies. Frees throw situations are perfect. 'Thanks for tossing me the ball-I appreciate that". Out of bound situations,"please bounce the ball to me" followed by a "thank you". In doing this you are building a relationship that most players will understand & appreciate. What you want is for them to play the game & let you officiate & when you have to exert your authority, they may not agree but hopefully they will accept it because you have built a reputation of good game management. One of the best compliments you can receive as an official is for the players to be happy that you are once again doing their game. Not because they won or lost but because you treated them fairly with respect & as responsible young adults.

5.We all have to deal with coaches –they are part of the game. In my opinion you cannot be successful in collegiate officiating, without at least gaining the respect & confidence of the coaches. They don't necessarily have to like you but what they really want is to feel confidant that you will officiate the game fairly & competently so that they can concentrate on coaching & winning games which is what they are being paid to do. As we watch games on TV, we often see many of the same officials night after night. For the most part in these games, coach's just coach & the game proceeds along smoothly & you can sometimes get the impression that it is easy & anyone can officiate at this level. But of course what is behind this is the fact that most of these officials have reached the point where the coaches have seen them do enough games & feel comfortable with them-so they trust them & coach. These officials have very strong people skills as well as rules knowledge & good judgment & they can deal effectively with coaches often in intense emotional situations. There is no one way to do this. Each of us has our own unique personality & verbal skills & must find a path & way to deal with coaches. Remember coaches make their living at coaching-for us it is an avocation. We have to be able to deal with this without sacrificing our primary objective-namely to be fair & give both teams a chance to win. Following are some typical situations that hopefully will illustrate an approach that may work for you:

-Never argue with a coach -you will always lose. They are typically excellent orators & will usually have the last word. Also this will lead you down the path of technical fouls for which you will be perceived as part of the problem. Sometimes all coaches are wanting is to be listened to & sometimes we should listen. A way to end the conversation is "Coach I did not see it the same way you did but I will take a look".Don't try to win every argument & don't be confrontational. Many times digression is the better part of valor.
-Don't be or try to be a comedian. Coaches take their jobs seriously & usually don't appreciate us making light of a situation where their job is involved.
-Never try to lie yourself out of a situation. Be man or woman enough to admit you made a mistake (can't do this too often). Coaches have that instinct to know when you are faking it & will not respect you for it. Be willing to admit you made a mistake-coaches will respect that.
-Try to warn a coach if you have reached that point where you need to stop his/hers complaining. Something like" Coach I hear what you are saying & I will take a look but I'm not going to allow this to continue" is polite but also firm enough to allow the coach to back off without losing face. Of course now that you have "drawn the line in the sand", you will have to back it up with action if it continues. This goes to the issue of credibility , which you need to establish.
-When you call a technical foul on a coach, do it without emotion & after you report it go immediately to the center circle to meet your partners (agreed to in the pre-game) & proceed with the administration. Allow the situation to settle & don't provoke a second technical foul. If a second technical is necessary, one of your partners should call it if all possible, again very professionally & without emotion.
-Should you have a situation where one coach is very volatile & the other is not & letting you officiate, it will appear that the volatile coach is exerting undue influence particularly if that coach is winning & the calls seem to be going that way. We need to have the courage to correct that so that both teams have a fair chance to win.
-Be very careful about what you says to coaches & players. You should assume that everything you say may be repeated to the assigning commissioner & maybe not in the original context. Even the most supportive commissioner will soon tire of these situations. We must keep ourselves under control if we are to manage the game. Some situations may warrant having a partner with you & certainly get both coaches together for complex discussions as appropriate.
-Never say never & never say always. Expect that there will be times when something will happen that may violate a basic ground rule that if you apply an automatic technical foul to it ,it could be an inappropriate call. An example could be a coach coming out of the coaching box to get your attention about a timing/scoring error. A technical foul in this situation may not be the proper call particularly if the rest of the game has gone well & the coach has not been a problem. Good judgment needs to prevail.
-Finally we need to understand that this is an emotional game & sometimes coaches need to be allowed to react to situations with emotion. As long as it is within reasonable bounds & is short lived, we need to be able to deal with this. This is not in conflict with what was said above but just another dimension of the complex problem of people management skills.

Successful officiating is built on a pyramid-like foundation. At the bottom are rules knowledge, mechanics & signals. The middle tier is good judgment & at the top you have people –management skills. Very successful officials are talented in all of these –particularly with people-management skills & that is where the primary interface is with coaches & players. We all can elevate our officiating considerably by improving our "Courtside Manner". Practice it in other aspects of your life & it will become part of your game. Hopefully some of the suggestions will be thought provoking & useful to you in making you a better official which is what we are all constantly trying to do.

The Communication Factor Ike Relacion

Observe successful officials and determine what makes their games run smoothly. Officiating success encompasses many facets of human relations. With the right preparation, goal-setting and mentoring, officiating success can be attained. The result of working smart, experience and credibility, and learning from every assignment will make you better. How you manage segments of a game is essential for your officiating progress. This includes managing players, coaches, and the table. Let's focus on coaches. Listening is not the absence of talking, but the presence of attention. Listening is not simply hearing, it is understanding. It requires participation, action, and effort. Listening is the glue that holds communication together. And it is absolutely essential to be an effective referee.Listening to coaches is a core fundamental skill of successful officials. It is the key to developing and maintaining relationships, making decisions, and in solving problems. And you have to have your head on right - don't think your striped shirt grants you immunity from having to take a little criticism. It's part of officiating. Plan on it. Successful officials know how much to take.

Like all communication skills, listening improves quickly with practice and technique. For example, a coach may ask you what you saw on the illegal screen that went against his team. This is a situation warranting more than just non-verbal communication. If a coach approaches you professionally, it is important that you provide a one to two sentence response when appropriate. Again, when asked reasonable questions, reasonable answers may be given. Again, listening well does not mean you agree, it simply means you are trying to understand.

As officials, we communicate through our involvement in the pregame discussion. We typically discuss match-ups, team tendencies, and re-emphasizing the points of emphasis along with any periodic memos and mandates. Discussing those themes should bring consistency and comfort between the members of the crew when plays occur. Just as players and coaches make mistakes, officials are human also. How many times have you been in games that the coach is looking for someone to blame for their team's poor performance? Officials don't miss setting a pick, don't miss lay-ups, and don't miss a defensive or offensive play. In my pre-game discussion, I make it a point tell inform my crew that if a coach wants an explanation on a call I just made, to please have him ask me. If that means switching from the opposite the bench to resolve the matter during successive free throws then so be it. I'd rather explain and resolve it myself then to have a crew member talk for me. Choose your words wisely; your words are always under the microscope a/o microphone.

Demonstrate an open attitude through your non-verbal actions (eye contact, facial expression, posture, vocal tone, inflection, etc). Coaches seem to respect officials that are approachable. Successful officials seem to have the ability to disarm a coach and diffuse a situation ("I blew the call," "I'll do better next time," "I hear you," "You have a point," "You made your point," "I'll look," rather than threats, such as, "It was not my call," "You coach and I'll referee," or "Sit down," or worst of all, "Shut up.") Avoid comments that may belittle a coach. Always be approachable and respectful and treat every coach, player, and fan with respect and professionalism. When a coach crosses the line of respect and professionalism and is more interested in officiating rather than coaching, use a warning and/or enforce a technical foul. Coaches may "vent", but there needs to be an end point. Make a technical foul just another decision (not an emotion) to better the game!

Member News and Accomplishments

Please send your cards and get-well wishes to George Detsis.

New MACBOA Corporate Sponsor: E'Lite Advantage Connection

E'Lite Advantage Connection
8415 Snowden Oaks Place
Laurel, MD 20708
301-725-7782 Business
301-604-0516 Fax
E-mail: cburnett518@yahoo.com

MACBOA is proud to announce E'Lite Advantage Connection (EAC) as a corporate sponsor. E'Lite Advantage Connection (EAC) will look after all your corporate travel arrangements. The goal of EAC is to be "the" brand name in the travel sector. EAC's motto is, "To be the best that we can be. With integrity, initiative, and dependability. That is the E'Lite way." EAC creates a personal travel profile for all clients with details of their likes and dislikes, airline reservations, ticketing, hotel bookings and car rentals. EAC offers support for your travel 7 days a week. EAC offers standard ticket delivery by courier or electronically, through Satellite Ticket as you direct.

The E'Lite Team is comprised of energetic, customer- and detail-oriented professionals eager to make things work in the best interest of the client.

EAC consists of experienced, competent and dedicated travel professionals committed to satisfying your travel needs. In addition, EAC's computerized reservation information system and extended business hours places EAC in a unique and unparalleled position to manage all of your corporate or personal travel requirements.

We welcome the opportunity to serve you and look forward to a rewarding relationship. Let EAC put their skills into action utilizing their professional experience and resources to suite your needs and special requirements. EAC does what larger agencies don't…We Care!

If you have any corporate or personal travel plans, please give E'Lite Advantage Connection (EAC) a call at Mr. Duane Burnett at 301-725-7782.

E'Lite Advantage Connection
8415 Snowden Oaks Place
Laurel, MD 20708
301-725-7782 Business
301-604-0516 Fax
E-mail: cburnett518@yahoo.com

Stats On Macboa.org

Date Range: 02/01/2002 - 02/28/2002

Order your MACBOA Logo Whistles!

Be the first to receive your MACBOA logo Fox-40 Classic Whistle while supplies last!

Send your payment of $5.00 for each whistle ordered to Ike Relacion, c/o MACBOA Logo Whistle, 21112 Archstone Way, Unit 101, Germantown, MD 20876-6996.

Submitting Articles for MACBOA Consideration

Thank you for your interest in submitting an article for consideration on www.macboa.org.

We accept well-written features, how-to articles, "how I did it" success stories, tips and hints, motivational articles and other articles that will help our audience gain knowledge and succeed in their officiating avocation.

We do not accept articles that are primarily advertisements. However, you may place a biographical section at the end of your article. It should be no more than 30 to 40 words in length. It would be nice if you could include a 60x60 picture of you in .gif or .jpeg format.

Below are instructions for submitting your article to the MACBOA.org web site. We ask that you read the terms of your Agreement with MACBOA.org carefully.

Please note: We only accept submissions from the original author of the articles or a publicist hired by the copyright owner to submit material here. By submitting material, you acknowledge that you are legally entitled to distribute the work and to allow it to be redistributed. (If you are a book publisher or public relations firm with copy to distribute, please include a note to that effect at the top of the article you submit.) We do not pay for articles, and do not accept articles that are primarily advertisements. However, you may place a brief resource box and contact information (but no ads) at the end of your article.

To send your article, click on the "Article Submission Form" and answer the questions and then copy and paste your submission into the space provided. We have provided a copy of the form below. Please be sure your by-line appears below the title of the article. Click on the submit button to complete the process and or cut-and-paste the completed form and your article to macboa1@aol.com.

Reward, challenge, appreciation, stimulation, writing, reading...rarely thanked or noticed.

These are some of the attributes of the well hidden job of MACBOA Newsletter Volunteer. Are you interested in working behind the scenes (screens?) to help get information to members? MACBOA is looking to grow our ranks by a couple of folks and thus, we're soliciting volunteers.

What do you do? Read postings. Write articles, membership news, coordinate interviews, cultivate sponsor relations, etc. Write e-mail back and forth amongst us to establish communication, and guidance to keep this list as valuable as possible for our membership. Although we're virtual, our presence is sensed, we hope...and appreciated, although rarely acclaimed.

We haven't a job description, nor do we know what knowledge, skills, and abilities are required, but some that will come in handy are:

• having the ability to write
  
• being thick skinned, not thick headed
  
• being able to express your opinions, while being open minded
  
• having at least a free hour or two a week caring for the membership
  

Please respond directly by e-mail to: irelacion@aol.com

HOW TO CONTACT THE NEWSLETTER COORDINATOR

MACBOA welcomes and encourages news and information for the periodic newsletter. Please submit all materials to address letters of comment, article proposals and queries, or news items to:

Ike Relacion, (301) 371-8520
E-mail: irelacion@aol.com

MACBOA Newsletter Information

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MACBOA nor its guest contributors shall be liable or responsible to any person or entity for any loss or damage caused, or alleged to be have been caused, directly or indirectly by the information or ideas contained, suggested, or referenced in this newsletter

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