214 - Good officials, great officials

I went to officials Camp again earlier this week, and Cass Beverly was one of the clinicians there. He is right now in the NBA G league, and will likely make it all the way to the NBA as an official. He said something that stood out to me. He said good officials get themselves out of situations that great officials would never have gotten into in the first place. I asked him to tell me more about that and he noted a game that he did five years ago at the division one or two level, it was a three point game, with maybe 30 seconds or so left. He called a foul, and didn't realize that the clock continue to run for three or four seconds. He forgot to glance up at the clock after he blew his whistle. So the opposing coach starts yelling at him, Mr. official, four seconds came off the clock get that time back on please. There is no replay at that level, so Katz was stuck because he did not have to finish of knowledge, and neither did his partners, of the clock continuing to run. 13 proceeded to lose the game, and when cast looked at the replay, sure enough, the time did come off the clock and his partners didn't catch it. He missed it, and managed to get out of the game alive, but now it's a habit where when he blows his whistle he glances at the clock. You could replace official with just about any profession in that sentence. A good accountant get some selves out of situation is that a great accountant never gets into in the first place. A good physical therapist get some selves out of situation is that a great physical therapist would never get into in the first place. As we get experience as coaches, we realize the good coaches can get out of situations that great coaches would've never gotten into in the first place. My challenge for you is to reflect on the situation that happened once, and that you'll never let happen again. Start asking coaches that question and learning from them, because our careers are too short to make all our own mistakes.