Show notes
What your players learn from how you treat the referee, and how to ask a question that actually gets answered.
Four minutes left in the opener, down three, and the whistle goes the other way. Coach Steve Collins knows that feeling in your chest, and he knows the moment that comes right after it, when every kid on the bench turns to see what the head coach does next. Early in his career he thought working the officials was part of the job. Then he watched film of his own bench and saw his players copying every arm wave and every frustrated face while the other team ran back for layups.
In this deep dive for opening week, Steve breaks down how to talk to officials in a way that actually helps your team. He covers why your players borrow your emotions, how to ask a question an official can answer, when to speak and who should do the talking, and how to give your players a real plan for officials that holds up when they are angry. It is about respect, it is about modeling, and it is about keeping good officials in our gyms for years to come.
Part 1: The Mindset
- The opening scenario: a late charge call in game one and the five seconds that teach your bench more than a week of practice
- Steve's confession about working the officials, and the bench film that changed his approach
- Why your players borrow your face, and the two claps and a point that tell them "next play"
- The difference between a verdict and a question, with three questions an official can actually answer
- The official who told Steve his driver was leading with his off arm, and how that fixed a problem
Part 2: The Timing and the Plan
- Waiting for the dead ball, free throws, and timeouts before you speak, and asking only one question
- Why only the head coach talks to officials and assistants never do
- Teaching players a plan instead of a rule: captains greet officials, captains ask questions, everyone else plays the next play
- Practicing bad calls in scrimmages so the reaction is trained before November
- The fiery senior who took a breath, sprinted back, and took a charge on the next possession
- Shaking every official's hand, raising real concerns through your athletic director, and being the reason officials stay in the game
Chapters
- 00:00 Coach Unplugged intro
- 00:16 Opening scenario: the late charge call
- 01:18 Pre roll: TeachHoops.com bench management and game day checklists
- 01:40 Watching film of my own bench
- 02:29 Takeaway 1: Your players borrow your face
- 03:39 Takeaway 2: Ask a question that can be answered
- 05:51 Takeaway 3: Pick your moment and one voice
- 06:57 Mid roll: TeachHoops.com game management library and community
- 07:20 Takeaway 4: Teach your players a plan for officials
- 09:07 Takeaway 5: Let it go before the handshake line
- 10:10 The opening week challenge
- 10:29 Post roll: TeachHoops.com
This week's challenge: Before your first game, decide your one signal for a bad call and teach it to your team at practice.
Format: Deep Dive, two parts.
Resources: Bench management guides, game day checklists, game management resources, practice plans, courses, and on court clinics at https://teachhoops.com/
Recorded at the Fifth Quarter Studios in Madison, Wisconsin.
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