A little respect goes a long way.
On the eve of Sheldon Kennedy’s visit to Okotoks to promote his “Respect in Schools” program, I cannot hold my tongue any longer.
Having witnessed the plight of referee recruitment in this province and others, I recently saw first-hand why it is so difficult to attract new people to officiating.
The level of respect just isn’t there.
Earlier this month I attended the annual Knights Classic basketball tournament at Holy Trinity Academy. The single-elimination event featured schools from throughout the province and saw boisterous crowds of excited fans and parents cheering on their children.
As the host Knights seized control of the tournament’s final game, the atmosphere in the gymnasium went from supportive to toxic.
After several “controversial” calls went against the visiting Winston Churchill Bulldogs, the visiting parents and coaches alike began to voice their displeasure with the referees.
This harassment was not a one-off incident. Repeated calls were made for the referees to adjust their glasses, to stop attempting to award Holy Trinity Academy the victory and to vacate the playing surface.
Numerous times these shouts from parents verged dangerously close to sounding like threats while others were outright nasty.
All of this venom directed toward two gentlemen who opted to brave a blizzard to spend their Saturday night refereeing high school basketball instead of spending it with friends and family.
The anti-officiating sentiment eventually led to the visiting coach being given a technical for repeated shouts in the officials’ direction.
This conduct isn’t acceptable.
Enrollment in refereeing clinics is down across the country, in every sport.
Any attempt to entice young athletes to don the white-and-black stripes is being handcuffed by an unwillingness to end this abuse. Perhaps there are alternatives to hurling abuse from the rafters.
One way is to adopt the old adage of walking a mile in someone else’s shoes.
If it were you, or your child, trying to keep control of a fast-paced, exciting basketball game would you rather the attention be focused on the game or how it was officiated?
This doesn’t mean the referees should not be held accountable. After speaking with several officials, I know they are harder on themselves for missed calls and screw-ups than any parent or coach could be.
However, just as players make mistakes, so do the referees. We are all human.
Participating in a sport can be the highlight of a child’s life. Just as quickly, it can be ruined by an overbearing parent or authority figure.
The same goes for youth who want to enter the refereeing, umpiring or officiating ranks — except they are subject to the ire of everyone in the stands and on the benches.
A competitive game should be a place of encouragement where doing one’s best is what’s expected.
There will be great moments and there will also be mistakes.
The key is to keep a level head, regardless of the circumstances, and remember what it would be like if you missed that call.
It’s all about respect. It’s as simple as that.
