July/August 2019 - 21

to an official while pulling out a line-up card and
pretending to discuss a personnel change. Fans are none
the wiser. Officials appreciate that kind of consideration.
Depending on the nature of the sport, it may not always
be possible or convenient to wait until dead time. Morgan
said, " I don't mind if a coach addresses me respectfully
when I'm stationed near their bench during half-court
action, or even when I'm running past them. As long as
they understand I'm focusing on my job and can't always
respond immediately. "
4
.Watch the language. It's a no-brainer that coaches
.should never use profanity. But there are other ways
they can cause trouble with their words. One is the use of
pronouns.
" The biggest thing a coach must avoid using is the
word 'you,' " Uyl said. " This is what makes a criticism
or complaint personal. Most officials can take negative
feedback when the point of discussion is the play, the
call or the rule. When it becomes personal, that's when
coaches should expect to be penalized. " In other words,
there's a big difference between " That call was terrible "
and " You are terrible. "
Officials also hate hearing coaches count; " That's three
you've missed " will not go over well. It's also productive
to ask questions. Instead of, " Hey, you've got to call No.
55 for holding! " coaches should try, " Could you watch
No. 55 for holding? " After a confusing play, a good
conversation starter is, " What did you see? " But even
questions can cause problems if they're sarcastic or just
another way of complaining. Don't ask, " Are we ever
going to get that call? "
5
.Don't question integrity. " No matter what sport I'm
.working, I can never tolerate someone questioning my
integrity, " said Dave Emenhiser, who officiates five high
school sports in Indiana.
Avoid comments like " Who are you related to on the
other team? " or " Do you have money on this game? "
Thankfully, those questions rarely come from coaches.
But some might comment " You're better than that, "
and officials might think the coach is accusing them of
intentionally not doing their best.
Also, coaches who complain that officials have called
more infractions against their team than against their
opponents are implying bias. Unlike the more blatant
accusations of favoritism, the subtler comments may not
warrant immediate penalties, but they are guaranteed to
get under an official's skin.
With our society's emphasis on winning, it's easy to
forget that coaches are primarily educators. One of their
most important responsibilities is to set a good example,
not only for their athletes but also for the fans. Nowhere
is this more important than in their interactions with
officials. If coaches do their best to use civility and
respect toward officials, athletes and fans are likely to do
the same.
Randy Hisner coaches cross country at Bellmont High
School in Decatur, Indiana, and umpires high school
and college baseball. He also has coached high school
baseball and middle school track and basketball.
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July/August 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July/August 2019
