Using the Off-Season Well
Working on your game throughout the year
As much as I love and look forward to the basketball season every year, there is also something refreshing about washing my uniforms and putting them and my “rollie bag” in the closet for a few months at the end of a long season. It’s nice to have my evenings and Saturdays free again, and my joints sure appreciate the rest.
The off-season looks different for everyone and can depend on one’s current season of life. Before having kids, I spent my summers attending officiating camps and clinics and occasionally working a few club basketball games. When my kids were born, that shifted dramatically for me. Gone was the ease of being gone for a weekend, or having extensive time to put my nose in a rulebook. I happily prioritized my family and my day job, especially during the years when my kids needed me most.
Those days are drifting away, as my youngest is graduating from high school next month. And the truth is, once we handed her the keys to her car at 16, my “mom” responsibilities dwindled to occasional reminders, keeping the fridge stocked, and a daily hug. All that to say, having the extra time has let me reconnect with camps and clinics and devote more attention to studying the rulebook than I could before.
Like me in my earlier parenting days, not everyone dedicates significant time in the off-season to their game. For some, it’s just “not that deep”—it’s something they do to make money, have fun, and enjoy the camaraderie. For others, they don’t have the time or resources to commit to it. But for many others, the desire to “move up” and develop a sense of mastery of their game is the motivation they use to sign up for a clinic or devote time to the rule book.
If you are in the latter group, I want to offer a few resources to you!
Camps and Clinics
I’ve done some recent sleuthing about camps and clinics available for various sports, and want to invite you to view the brand new Camps and Clinics page, where I’ve listed the options of which I’m aware. (The link above will take you to the page, or you can find it in the top Navigation Bar at hercall.substack.com.)
Thank you to the officials who helped me with this! It is a work in progress, so be sure to check it out frequently if you are interested in offerings in the Nebraska region.
If you know of a camp or clinic for your sport that is not on this list, please mention it in the chat (see below) or email the information to me at hercall.officials@gmail.com.
Rule Book Study
This is my least favorite aspect of mastering my game. Rule book reading is pretty tedious, and it takes time for it to sink in. I’ve found that “chunking” it up makes it palatable and easier to comprehend. This means I might read a few pages per day over a period of time before the season. For the high school season, that might mean I read a few pages every weekday in October through November (and for college, September through October).
Your Turn
I’m curious about your approach! I’ve started a new post in the Her Call Chat. Please share your strategies for reading the rules and improving your game.