Bringing MA to Basketball

[Nidan Melbourne]

So in a past life; I was a Basketball Referee and a Referee Supervisor for a Local Basketball Club for several years. Once I got my Accreditation, I received the nickname "Chop Chop" which many of my referee friends still call me to this day. Some called me "Baba Yaga" because they were terrified if I ever got summoned to their court whilst they were playing. 

Now during my time as a Referee; I had to use one massive tool that we tend to learn as a Martial Artist multiple times. And it was how to Communicate with people when they were angry/aggressive. 

Now how did I get the "Baba Yaga" nickname? I got it at a Tournament in 2009, where there was an incident where I dealt with this particular team 3 times over the course of the Tournament. In the 2nd Match, this particular coach came onto the court in a rather angry mood and gave him a "Technical Foul". Advised him one more that he would be out of the stadium and that I would place him on report (and attend a tribunal hearing).  He decided to make the wrong move opted to take a swing at me, I caught it and did an epic throw on him and he landed on the flat of his back. Told him that he was now on report for several worse charges, so I attended that tribunal and he was given a life ban. 

I was still allocated to their 3rd match, which was after the tribunal. They saw my face and tried to get me reallocated to another court, but the stadium declined as all the other courts were already hosting the VC Matches (VC = Victorian Championships = the higher tier matches over what I was doing). So I got dubbed that "Baba Yaga" Nickname, because I was the cause of their nightmares and a lot of in fighting for the team. 

It eventually got back to my association, and it just stuck when it came to difficult coaches who messed with my referees. 

 

NOW is it worth for Referees to know how to defend themselves? Yes! 

[KarateKen]

I always find it funny in the baseball brawls that the pitchers come running in from the bullpen and by the time they get to the mound the fight is over.  I'm not aware of what athletes in other sports have studied martial arts, but being able to communicate with people who are angry would be a great tool for refs and players, and managers.  I feel there is something wrong with the sports culture that allows so much verbal abuse, there seems to be almost an expectation of being allowed to scream, name call, and swear at each other without punishment.  When the players and umpires get up into each other's faces it is good for TV and the fans love it, but it sometimes goes too far, like when Roberto Alomar spit in the face of an umpire.  Conflict resolution is a useful skill, sadly sometimes people are so angry they can't be reasoned with, both in sports and in life.  Police deal with it all the time.

Being an umpire/referee sound like a thankless job, if you do everything right nobody notices but if you get it wrong the scream at you.  Or you get it right, but they still scream at you because it went against them.    If you are a referee, a cop, or work in customer service you basically get verbally abused for a living.  

[Nidan Melbourne]

2 hours ago, KarateKen said:

I always find it funny in the baseball brawls that the pitchers come running in from the bullpen and by the time they get to the mound the fight is over.  I'm not aware of what athletes in other sports have studied martial arts, but being able to communicate with people who are angry would be a great tool for refs and players, and managers.  I feel there is something wrong with the sports culture that allows so much verbal abuse, there seems to be almost an expectation of being allowed to scream, name call, and swear at each other without punishment.  When the players and umpires get up into each other's faces it is good for TV and the fans love it, but it sometimes goes too far, like when Roberto Alomar spit in the face of an umpire.  Conflict resolution is a useful skill, sadly sometimes people are so angry they can't be reasoned with, both in sports and in life.  Police deal with it all the time.

Being an umpire/referee sound like a thankless job, if you do everything right nobody notices but if you get it wrong the scream at you.  Or you get it right, but they still scream at you because it went against them.    If you are a referee, a cop, or work in customer service you basically get verbally abused for a living.  

It is true, that is a thankless job. You need to have bit of a thick skin to do it, but I found that it was great for me to develop it and also to work on how to communicate effectively. 

People lose their minds on the 50/50 calls or the ones that are difficult to make without video footage that we could technically use. 

What irked me the most, is the comments by coaches/players/spectators of "how did you miss that Ref?". Now I have one of two responses: 

1. "I didn't see it because I wasn't in your position to see it" 

2. "I did see it, but didn't have much of an impact on the game let alone on the play" 

         - If we called absolutely everything that was a foul, then there would be no players! 

        - If it impacts a shooter = foul gotta be called 

I taught my guys and girls that if they let abuse fly at the start of the match, its going to be hard to stop later on during the match. Give 1 warning, after that Tech them or DQ them.. IF it is an issue with a spectator I would throw them out as a Supervisor. 

 

The things that make me laugh the most are some violations; where players nearly always go "I didn't do that!"