The people who officiate high school athletics don’t get paid a whole lot. Neither do coaches, who put in long hours outside of games practicing, organizing and mentoring their team.
Thankfully, the love of the game, of competition and youth sports in general, usually is enough to get them to sign up.
Unfortunately, that dedication is being tested by fans who think that paying admission gives them the right to berate a referee, and parents who believe they should get unlimited input into how the team is run.
Together, they’re threatening the well-being of high school sports.
As the fall season kicks off this week, there are barely enough officials to cover every game.
As reported by the Press Herald’s Travis Lazarcyk, a state survey of 495 active officials found that nearly 4 out of every 5 said the biggest obstacle to attracting new officials is abuse from parents or fans. Half of them said they had been targeted by serious abuse themselves.
There are just 180 people available to work football games when 195 are needed to cover every game each week. Field hockey and soccer officials are harder to find, too, than they were just a few years ago. Regional shortages can be even worse.
Coaches are being driven from youth sports, as well, by parents who are harassing them over their kid’s playing time, along with the time commitment it takes to lead a team now. Half of the varsity soccer coaches in Maine this year are new, the Bangor Daily News reported this week, indicating that many are choosing to move on from coaching.
In the case of game officials, few are coming to replace those who are leaving, a problem when the average age is near retirement and many of the folks who have done the job for years, if not decades, are getting ready to step down.
Pay is increasing, and officiating is pitched as a fun way for former athletes to stay in touch with the sports they love.
But none of that will matter if they spend their time on the field or court being harassed by fans. Why take time to master the rules of the game only to spend Friday nights getting yelled at by people who barely know them at all?
And why give up nights and weekends, and a lot of the time in between, to coach a group of young athletes when a bad parent or two can take all the joy out of it?
Something’s got to change. Some states, including Massachusetts and Rhode Island, have laws specifically against verbal and physical assault of game officials. If that is what it takes to quiet down the loudmouths, then Maine should consider it.
But it’s also up to schools, and the vast majority of parents and fans who act as they should, to create an atmosphere of healthy competition and sportsmanship around youth athletics.
High school sports are supposed to be an extension of the classroom. Their purpose is to teach young members of our communities how to be a member of a team, and how to sacrifice together toward a common goal. That can’t happen if some fans are allowed to scream at the refs, or parents to bully the coach.
Parents should leave coaching to the coaches, and game officials shouldn’t be left alone to handle abuse.
In both cases, parents and fans should let others know when they cross a line, and administrators should be ready to remove anyone who can’t control themselves.
Every adult involved should act like one – for the sake of the kids, and the future of high school sports.
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