Game Log: First three camp games

Time to do a little journaling on the first games I've had at camp, and for me that means logging in here. Even though I've only had three games, they're blending together a bit (in part because all three were blowouts). Still, here's what I have.

FIRST GAME: No huge issues in this game. One of my partners was doing her first-ever three-person game, and she did a hell of a job considering it was her first time. Still, there were some missed rotations, and I had to dash back and forth a couple of times as lead.

Speaking of lead, I was caught ball-watching as lead. I never used to do that, but I think that, since I'm going down to close-down, I want to decide whether or not to rotate, and so my eyes go to the ball...and just sort of stay there. I got some good comments as well--one clinician said I was hustling well. They were concerned with crew communication--they felt like we were doing individual games. I made it a point to start communicating a bit more with the partners--to realize how their game is going, more T to C stuff, more smiles, etc. I got good kudos for call selection late in a blowout.

SECOND GAME: This sucker was videotaped. We were rightfully chewed out for two consecutive shot-clock screwups...there was a failure to reset that we missed. I was told I need to get closer to the play as trail, and on the videotape, I can see that. It looks like I'm not in the game.

THIRD GAME: Again, they felt we weren't really a crew. I'll work on that. Also, as I run up the court as T, I need to be on the floor and closer to the ball if it's on the other side of the floor. In general, I need to move more...like I used to for two-person. I will work for angles.

ALL GAMES: I have posture issues. In general, while looking at myself, my posture isn't terrible while I'm standing and reffing the game. It's not perfect, mind you, but it won't draw undue attention to myself. The problem happens after I toot my whistle. I hunch down to make my calls and my signals. I think part of it is just that I have bad posture overall, but part of it is that I tend to lean in to concentrate. When I have a lot to concentrate on, I lean, and at the moment I'm making a call, I lean and hunch. Ick.

I've decided the way that I will fix this is to SLOW THE HELL DOWN after I toot the whistle. In my last two games at camp, I will pause and breathe after every whistle. I'll stand up straight. I'll wait a beat or two, rather than my usual immediate leaning-and-shouting. Since everyone will be looking at me, I'll project "Hey, I'm an athlete!". Then, I'll calmly make the call from the good posture, which will be good for my voice.

It's a little frustrating at this point because I'm undergoing growing pains. I make a call, and then go "Damn. I'm hunched over." Over and over again! But that's better than it used to be. And in the game I'm doing in a couple hours...I'll get it right. I'll SLOW THE HELL DOWN.

That pretty well cover the "things I did well" and "Things to work on."

Next up: Two more camp games. One today, one tomorrow.