With the beginning of high school basketball practice yesterday across the state, I couldn’t help thinking about some of the associated do’s and don’ts which accompany Maine’s most popular sport.

I’m old enough to remember when all this hoopla began on the first Monday in November. Now, with the delayed starting time of November 19, coaches and players have the burden upon them to be ready, physically and emotionally, by the time they walk into the gym.

Time was, coaches could keep all tryout participants a week for conditioning before making a roster cut. That gave everyone an equal shot at the team, and it provided coaches a better look at their teams.

Those days are gone. Coaches have to be a little more clever in their thinking now, and the end result of the reduced preseason is often a wealth of nagging injuries. Tryout creativity has been the norm.

I coached high school hoops for 19 seasons. This was always my favorite time of the year. I didn’t like cutting players, but I did like preseason practice. The gym was quiet, and the players were fresh and eager to begin their season.

This is also the time of the year when referees and coaches sit down together to discuss rules and regulations and attempt to hammer out age-old differences, which seem to plague the two bodies each and every year.

Questions arise each year such as this one: Are the games at the high school varsity level officiated differently in Presque Isle than they are in Portland?

As a longtime fan, coach and observer, I’d have to answer “yes” to that common query. Here’s why.

Referees, who may, arguably, be the most organized and well-disciplined basketball organization in Maine, understand the marked difference between talent levels and the style of hoops being played across our state. Having said that, let’s add to this discussion what good officials do as the talent level increases: The better the talent on the floor, the more college-like the officiating.

The man in Maine who is stuck in the middle of all this wrangling is State of Maine Commissioner of Basketball, Peter Webb.

If one person shoulders the brunt of referee critiques, it’s Webb.

The Houlton native stood tall for many years as one of the top one or two high school hoop officials statewide. If there’s a problem in the refs ranks, it falls on Webb’s desk. The perfect diplomat for such things, Webb goes about his business salving wounds and bringing in new blood to enhance the rankings.

Coaches – some of whom can never be pleased – should study what the officials do each year to get better. Then, they should apply a simple rule to their preseason training. They should imitate what these successful men and women do and apply those principles to their own thinking.

Coaches who verbally abuse game officials are operating under the age-old scapegoat theory. The next thing they know, their players are doing the same thing.

And finally, as we head into high school hoop season 2007-2008, let’s admonish fans early and remind them of the tender age of the participants.

Players practice long and hard in their collective preparation for the upcoming season. My old coach used to tell our team that every time you point a finger at someone else, you have three fingers pointing right back at yourself.

Enjoy the games. Be prudent and wise in the blaming. It will pay off in rich dividends for all parties involved.

30-Second Time Out

What a neat thing it was to see three title games in high school football on TV this past weekend.

Give credit to WABI TV Channel 5 in Bangor for this great production. Frankly, I miss their work in the large school basketball tournament. I really do.

Channel 5 does yeoman-like service, and its University of Maine sports coverage this past football season and its ongoing hockey coverage have been excellent.

One final note: It was nice to see longtime sportscaster Tim Throckmorton doing some color commentary instead of just sideline work. He’s very underrated as an analyst.

BDN columnist Ron Brown, a retired high school basketball coach, can be reached at bdnsports@bangordailynews.net