March/April 2019 - 21

4. Work with school administrators to make sure bad
characters are held accountable and warned before things
get out of hand.
5. Work with local officiating associations to start
a dialogue on how coaches and referees can better
understand each other. A good first step is having the two
groups meet to discuss the major issues that cause conflict.
Try to understand where each other is coming from.
6. Talk to officials one-on-one to gain a better
understanding of how they call games. Define rules like
" straight up, " " over the back " and other calls that regularly
make coaches upset.
7. Create a handout for all fans that spells out
expectations of those in attendance. Include information
for how they can sign up to become an official.
8. Develop a handout with some of the basic rules that
often get fans riled up. For example, when a player dives
for a loose ball and slides across the floor, why is that
not traveling? What's the definition of a jump ball? The
Michigan High School Athletic Association produces a series
of videos called the " MSHAA Minute - Misunderstood
Rules. " These would make for a great presentation at
parent meetings.
According to a recent survey by the National
Association of Sports Officials, more than 75 percent
of all high school officials say " adult behavior " is the
primary reason they quit. And 80 percent of all officials
hang up their stripes after just two years.
This season, in an effort to show our appreciation toward
officials, our team designed and printed special " thank
you " cards. Each player and coach signed the cards and,
after halftime, our game manager put them in the referees'
dressing room. After the game, one of the referees ran down
our bus to tell us how much he appreciated the card. He said
he had officiated for 25 years, and it was the first time he'd
ever been thanked. Why would we expect anyone to do a job
where they are berated, heckled and then never thanked?
It's time coaches help lead the charge and become part
of the solution. There may be nights when they don't like
the officiating crew, but without referees, the games can't
go on.
Matt McCallum is the CEO of Great American Media
Services, the owner of Winning Hoops. He has been the
girls varsity coach at Sparta Area Schools in Sparta,
Michigan, for the past decade.
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March/April 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March/April 2019
