5 Armstrong Lane
Germantown Phila Penna.
Aug. 22, 1959.

Mr. Forrest C. Allen

Direetor of Bhysieal Education

University of Kansas

Lawrenee, Kansas

Dear Mr. Allen:

I have read, with a great deal of interest, your all-inelusive book,
Better Basketball. Needless to say I have found a wealth of material in
its pages and have found in its author, not only a basketball eoach, but

rather a teacher of men.
7 Of particular interest to me was the chapter devoted to Officiating.
There are many trwisms expressed in the pages of this ehapter whieh I
think many of our officials should read. The fault whieh I believe is
found in much of the offieiating today is the laekadaisiesal manner shown
by many of the officials working sehool and eollege games today. Many
of these officials treat their work as an avocation instead of a voe-
ation. Like the suecessful coach who tirelessly spends hours perfect-
ing a syspem of play for a certain opponent, so must the suecessful
official make his acute study of the game. As in other life work I
would again speak those words of wisdom given to us so long ago, "Many
are @alled, but few are chosen."

Speaking from the viewpoint of a young official I mast admit that
you have expressed a grievous fault of the yowg offieial who, in endeav-
oring to please his employer, will go out of his way to inquire as to
how the game is going. Such & man is foolish in that he leaves himself
wide open for criticism. Better, I think, is the method of being prepared
both physieally and mentally to give his best and to ask no questions--
for after all his word is law. |

The attitude of a judge is far better, for what judge does not have
a deep and abiding knowledge as well as interest in those whose faults
and mistakes eome under his jurisdiction. What judge, no matter how
sober he mast be, does not at some time or other show atwinkle of merri-
ment in his eye? So I believe the young official or older man too, must
be:..kind, yet firm and unyielding in his decisions.

I believe, too, that an offieial should try his best to help the
younger player and to fully explain his mistakes so that in future games
the boy will not falter again. Many ahool eoaches neglect to point out
a eertain fault and often the offieial will notiee the mistakes that
are being repeated. Not that the official should endeavor to eoach the
players at any time in the game, but after the game he may take the
opportunity of expressing himself. In the eollege game I do not think
much ean be dome along these lines for the majority of eollege eoaches
and players alike have had the preliminary training which will make
them bettsr students.

In offieiating a school game a few years ago I called attention to
the faet that a boy on eaeh of the opposing teams had three personal
fouls eharged against him. There remained but a few minutes of play
and the seore was close. On eautioning one of the players I said," I