Game Log 4/5/09: Three in a row with a running clock

I hate doing summer ball. Too often, it's a situation like today's. We walked in and were told "No one-and-one, just go to two shots at 10 fouls. Nobody's fouling out, and we're not even keeping a book...just the scoreboard."

What a running clock means is that my main goal--to slow the hell down when making calls--runs counter to the spirit of the game I'm in. If I paused, took a breath, got into an athletic position, and then deliberately gave the call, that would mean valuable time ticking off the clock. So it occurred to me quickly that my goal to appear more athletic couldn't be the primary thing I worked on this game.

Instead, I worked on conditioning. Three games is more than I usually do...boys, girls, then boys...so by the second half of that third game, I was dragging pretty hard. But I was only beaten down the floor once (on a steal...would have beaten me no matter what kind of shape I was in). And while fatigue started in impact me just a hair late, I only want two calls back for the entire three games.

So, in playground-quality games (lots of running, a fair number of turnoversJ), I stayed upright and on the case. I'll take that.

THINGS I DID WELL: Stayed up with the action, call selction
THINGS TO WORK ON: Conditioning, can still appear athletic even in a get-the-ball-back-in game
NEXT UP: Another tournament...HS boys on Saturday.