July 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 24
MEMBER TO MEMBER
Encouraging Positive, Proper
Treatment of Game Officials
By Jake Polito
C
ome on ref ! You need glasses! What game are you watching?! What kind
of call was that?! How are you not going to call that!
If you have ever spent time at a sporting event, chances are you
have heard one or more of these expressions used during the game.
Officials are fundamental to the success and growth of recreational sports nationwide, yet, on a regular basis, they are treated poorly. As recreation professionals, it is our job to encourage the positive and proper treatment of our officials.
Organized team sports play a significant role in the communities we
serve, and without referees to officiate games, these leagues would not
be possible. For over a decade, there
has been a substantial decrease in
the number of youth sports officials nationwide. While the impact
of this shortage can be felt by all,
recreational organizations are hit
the hardest. Official assignment
associations prioritize competitive
and high school games, leaving
park districts to compete for the remaining available officials.
Studies have shown that there
is a major correlation between the
shortage of youth sports officials
and their treatment while on the
job. As a player, family member,
coach and league supervisor, I
have witnessed the offensive and
undesirable treatment of referees.
I have heard countless expletives,
demeaning expressions and seen
blatantly aggressive attitudes toward referees, all while watching
children try to grasp the concept of
dribbling a basketball without traveling. What's even more disturbing
is that many of the officials facing
this abuse are teenagers - a fact
that gets lost in the heat of the
moment!
Parents, while not the sole individuals responsible for the mistreatment of officials, are habitual violators of the proper code of
conduct. This behavior often seems
to stem from a lack of knowledge
of league rules and/or of the game
itself. Simply posting your league
rules publicly can prevent a large
number of ill-informed shouting
from the sidelines. By establishing,
publicizing and enforcing a code
of conduct that all spectators must
adhere to, you can further reduce
the number of emotional outbursts.
Coaches as First/Last
Line of Defense
Our biggest tool in fighting this
increase in hostility toward game
officials lies with the proper training and selection of coaches. This
seems like it'd be an easy thing
to do, but sometimes just finding
enough coaches to fulfill a league's
needs is also challenging. While
22
Parks & Recreation
| J U LY 2 0 1 9 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G
July 2019 - Parks & Recreation
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2019 - Parks & Recreation
July 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 1
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