Talking to coaches

[Impartial_Observer]

I did the WIOA Zoom meeting last night and the speaker, a Big Ten wing, and now first year NFL official discussed dealing with coaches. He brought up a subject that seems to be gaining traction in the officiating community, calling coaches by their first name. I’ve heard this mentioned several times in clinics and meetings. Perhaps I’m old school, I have always addressed coaches as “coach” or “Coach XXXX”, to me it’s just a respect thing. So I got to thinking about it last night, I’m a pretty informal person, when I’m referred to as Mr Personett, I’m pretty quick to tell someone I’m Brian, so is it time for me to refer to coaches by their first name? I’d be interested in input from coaches as well as officials. 

[Bobref]

5 minutes ago, Impartial_Observer said:

I did the WIOA Zoom meeting last night and the speaker, a Big Ten wing, and now first year NFL official discussed dealing with coaches. He brought up a subject that seems to be gaining traction in the officiating community, calling coaches by their first name. I’ve heard this mentioned several times in clinics and meetings. Perhaps I’m old school, I have always addressed coaches as “coach” or “Coach XXXX”, to me it’s just a respect thing. So I got to thinking about it last night, I’m a pretty informal person, when I’m referred to as Mr Personett, I’m pretty quick to tell someone I’m Brian, so is it time for me to refer to coaches by their first name? I’d be interested in input from coaches as well as officials. 

Then, I guess I’m an old fuddy-duddy. In 42 seasons of officiating, I’ve never called a coach by his first name on the field. As long as I can still get out there to observe, I’ll never address a coach that way, regardless of how well I know him. Aside from the respect factor, there’s another reason. If I call one coach by his first name, I need to call all coaches by their first name, regardless of how well I know them. If you’re the coach of team A, and I refer to you as coach Smith, but I refer to the coach of B as coach Bob, what is coach Smith going to think about that? Given the level of paranoia some coaches have about officials, I guarantee that would be an issue.

[gonzoron]

On 7/16/2020 at 8:06 AM, Impartial_Observer said:

I did the WIOA Zoom meeting last night and the speaker, a Big Ten wing, and now first year NFL official discussed dealing with coaches. He brought up a subject that seems to be gaining traction in the officiating community, calling coaches by their first name. I’ve heard this mentioned several times in clinics and meetings. Perhaps I’m old school, I have always addressed coaches as “coach” or “Coach XXXX”, to me it’s just a respect thing. So I got to thinking about it last night, I’m a pretty informal person, when I’m referred to as Mr Personett, I’m pretty quick to tell someone I’m Brian, so is it time for me to refer to coaches by their first name? I’d be interested in input from coaches as well as officials. 

I'm not an official, and I address coaches as "Coach". I don't remember ever addressing one by his/her first name. I urge my student athlete children to do the same.

[foxbat]

13 hours ago, gonzoron said:

I'm not an official, and I address coaches as "Coach". I don't remember ever addressing one by his/her first name. I urge my student athlete children to do the same.

Agreed.  I even carry this beyond the field and into everyday life with my kids.  Even if an adult tells my kids to call them by their first name, my kids know to add Mister or Miss in front of it ... like Mr. Sam or Miss Samantha.  Maybe that's a Southern thing.

[gonzoron]

10 minutes ago, foxbat said:

Even if an adult tells my kids to call them by their first name, my kids know to add Mister or Miss in front of it ... like Mr. Sam or Miss Samantha.  Maybe that's a Southern thing

It's 'yes sir' or 'yes ma'am' with our kids. I think it is mainly a Southern thing, although I was raised here that way, but my Mom was Southern. And if we hear people tell them, "oh, you don't have to call me sir/ma'am" we say "oh, yes they do". And we do get compliments a lot about how polite our kids are. So it pays off. I even say yes sir or yes ma'am at a fast food drive through