Coaches Pre-game and Post game Instructions - notice from CMBA

Often coaches arrive at the gym prepared to coach but not-prepared for the pre-game preparations. This can result in the game starting late especially when the volunteers are not familiar with their duties as minor officials. Prior to arriving at the game location the following preparations will enable you, your team and the referees to smoothly get ready for the game:

1. You should arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled game time to be sure that all preliminary duties are met (so the game can start on time).
2. Come with a list of your players in numerical order for every game.
3. Pre-arrange before every game to have a scorekeeper or timekeeper ready to volunteer.
4. If you are the home team, fill in the score-sheet before arriving at the gym. (List all players and then at half-time of the game note which players are absent or injured). In the seeding round the upper or left hand team is home.

After the game there are several key requirements that have to be performed before your duties are over for the week. The end of the game is not when you can turn your mind to personal matters.

1. Firstly as a courtesy to the next team have your players clean up the bench area. Pick up beverage containers, etc. Wipe up wet areas and then leave quickly so that the next team can begin their preparations. Hold your team meeting outside or in a corner away from the baskets.
2. Next, if you are the winning coach, you are required to phone the 24-hour voicemail box immediately and report the results of the game (691-5696). Note that the game number and points scored by the winning and losing teams have to be reported.
3. In addition to phoning the result to the voicemail box, the winning coach must also fax or mail the score sheet to the CMBA office within 48 hours. (Fax 235-4645)

The game results are critical to the proper placement of teams into competitive divisions and having to call a coach to obtain game results makes the work of the CMBA a lot more tedious than necessary.  The above activities are not onerous if the coach follows a disciplined routine. However many coaches will enlist parent volunteers to perform some of the above duties so she/he can concentrate on getting the team ready for the game. If the coach finds that she/he is not able to report the score to the voice mailbox in a timely fashion, perhaps that duty should also be delegated to a parent who might be the team manager, especially if they have a cell-phone.

Example:

After reaching the voice mail box and selecting the proper age category the caller says: Game 10021,

Winning team - Bow River 2 – 45 points, Losing team Willowvista 1 – 43 points. (then end the call)

Gord Jackson
CMBA