Letter to youth sports officials

[euby]

I didn't mean to go off on a long tirade but as you can tell I get alittle erked when youth volunteers get bashed.

Anyway there is one thing that should be mentioned that I have noticed is the difference between the youth leagues and HS aged games.

Youth officals need to be very careful not to drop into youth type situations when doing the higher level games. It can and does happen...for example.

Lets say at the third grade level you tend to be a little more forgiving in the 3second, travels, etc because you are in a learning enviorment and when you do 8 games in one day you tend to be alittle more lax in the mechanics due to fatigue.

Its very easy to develope bad habits and hard to break once you have them. An offical who does both types of games have to be very diligent in there separation of the two "types".

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by euby

I didn't mean to go off on a long tirade but as you can tell I get alittle erked when youth volunteers get bashed.

If they do not want to get bashed, then they should run their leagues better. It is not like people here or anywhere has not formed opinions on youth sports based on what they hear. Most officials that cannot stand youth sports and leagues are based on their personal experiences. Then it does not help when you have coaches that behave in such a way that are suspect at best. Remember there was a football coach just a few weeks ago that assaulted a child during a game because all because he felt "his" child was hit late on a play. So do not make it sound like all of these opinions about youth sports are in a vacuum and no one has knowledge of some pretty bad situations.

Originally Posted by euby

Its very easy to develope bad habits and hard to break once you have them. An offical who does both types of games have to be very diligent in there separation of the two "types".

This can happen in Men's Leagues too.

If it bothers you the attitudes of these leagues, then you need to go around the country and change the way leagues are run all over the country. The football league that I have worked for about 3 years and will work some this fall had many internal problems with the board and when they used specific rules that were outside of any rulebook, the league would give conflicting information to their coaches and the officials. Every week would be a fight over striper rules or procedures that were essential to playing the games fairly. I was never alone in my experiences and this is why many guys would quit officiating all together because of some of these very bad situations they were put into working youth sports. Youth sports is where many start on some level and this is why most officials leave these leagues when they get more HS games or they break into college ball.

Peace

[euby]

Jrutledge....I am making no excuses for other leagues just my own. Not every league falls into the catagory you would like to put us all in.

Just because I see several really bad officals every year I don't automatically say all officals are bad. I'm not that narrow minded!

There are no perfect leagues...or perfect officals but if you strive to be the best you can be thats all anyone can do.

If a person is that unhappy officiating at any level then they need to move on because that type of attitude is like a cancer and will spred....all the way down to the kids.

Its easy to sit back and say this isn't right or that isn't right but unless you roll up your sleeves and get in there and try to make a change...nothing will.

Thats why I'm here...remember...to do things the right way and make a difference for the positive.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by euby

Jrutledge....I am making no excuses for other leagues just my own. Not every league falls into the catagory you would like to put us all in.

I did not put all leagues into any category. I said that many opinions about these leagues are formed by officials all over the country. The assault I referenced did not happen in a league that I have worked. As a matter of fact I have never personally witnessed an assault at the youth level. But when you read many of these stories of coaches assaulting officials and players, 9 times out of 10 it takes place at a youth league and with some parent acting out of control. If that bothers you that many point that out, not sure what to tell you.

Originally Posted by euby

Just because I see several really bad officals every year I don't automatically say all officals are bad. I'm not that narrow minded!

Can you find anywhere in this post where someone made that comment?

Originally Posted by euby

There are no perfect leagues...or perfect officals but if you strive to be the best you can be thats all anyone can do.

Did someone say there were perfect leagues anywhere? Or did someone say they expected perfection in leagues?

Originally Posted by euby

If a person is that unhappy officiating at any level then they need to move on because that type of attitude is like a cancer and will spred....all the way down to the kids.

I already know many officials that do not work those leagues Just because we talk here about these leagues and the coaches and parents, has nothing to do with the kids or our opinion about the kids. Youth leagues are ruined by adults who feel their kids are the "next coming" of what ever superstar that plays the game. It is sad when the kids are apologizing for the behavior of the adults or show how embarrassed they are when their parents are yelling at them for every single play.

Originally Posted by euby

Its easy to sit back and say this isn't right or that isn't right but unless you roll up your sleeves and get in there and try to make a change...nothing will.

Thats why I'm here...remember...to do things the right way and make a difference for the positive.

I can tell that this is an emotional (too emotional if you ask me) thing for you and you feel that everyone should feel that "youth sports" are where it is at. When my associations try to get officials for those leagues, it is always for the officials to "make money" and to give younger officials experience seeing plays and dealing with situations. I have never heard anything about "giving back" or volunteerism as the mission for these leagues. If volunteerism was a major focus then people would drive all over the city to work these leagues. Considering that even the Little League Baseball Leagues that I have been round pay the officials money (if they did not they would have a very hard time getting any officials).

You will never change my opinion or anyone's opinion about youth sports just because you think they have a higher focus. We used to play sports in my back yard and everyone that played did not feel cheated from the contact with the adults or officials that were not around to work those games.

Peace

[dave30]

What I've always noticed in youth sports is : "the younger the player, the dumber the parent."

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by dave30

What I've always noticed in youth sports is : "the younger the player, the dumber the parent."

I dunno. I have watched several parents in my area for years. And as their kids have grown up, they have not grown smarter.

[coach41]

As a ref who originally started working youth/CYO ball in my area, I appreciate the time the coaches/parents/administrators/officials put into the league.

However, after working high school ball for the past 4 years and continuing to work the youth leagues, I have realized what a difficult environment youth leagues are to work in.

The kids are 99% of the time not the problem. The majority of the time it's either over zealous parents or inexperienced/uninformed coaches. The article is good but our league here in the Bay Area has code of conduct rules for players/coaches/spectators. The league also has the Positive Coaching Alliance come in for talks with all coaches.

Has it helped? The talks have only gone on for 2 years so it's debatable if there's been any effect yet. Hopefully, eventually coaches and parents will realize that sports are for kids and let them enjoy the experience.

I will continue to ref the league (at least for a while longer) because it's additional work for me. I started a new job 4 months ago and my high school schedule will likely be....VERY LIGHT this coming season.

[dave30]

I work two or three different youth leagues both during the season and the off-season. I think for the most part, referees do have a positive effect on the kids. Most of these kids remember us when they get to school ball. Many of them see me around town, the mall, whatever, and they always come by and just say hi. If you care about kids and enjoy kids, then you should work youth leagues. If not, you shouldn't. It's all about the kids and that outweighs the idiot parents for me. We are there as much to teach and coach as we are to referee. When you see a kid who couldn't dribble the ball the first time you met him or her and by the end of the year, the kid is playing fairly well and having fun...then it's worth it to me.

[euby]

Originally Posted by dave30

I work two or three different youth leagues both during the season and the off-season. I think for the most part, referees do have a positive effect on the kids. Most of these kids remember us when they get to school ball. Many of them see me around town, the mall, whatever, and they always come by and just say hi. If you care about kids and enjoy kids, then you should work youth leagues. If not, you shouldn't. It's all about the kids and that outweighs the idiot parents for me. We are there as much to teach and coach as we are to referee. When you see a kid who couldn't dribble the ball the first time you met him or her and by the end of the year, the kid is playing fairly well and having fun...then it's worth it to me.

Dave...you need a job?

[coach41]

Dave30,

Yeah, I like the kids too. I played in the CYO youth league and started my reffing career with them. So the league has been very good to me and that's why I still do it.

I'm not sure where you're located, but at least in San Francisco, the schools in the CYO league have some dinky old gyms that are really "close quarters". Specator seating is literally on top of the players and refs.

It's almost impossible to avoid contact with fans/parents/etc and sometimes hard to tune out since they're right on top of you. I'm usually pretty relaxed person, but when I ref, I just put a scowl on my "face". I hope that scares the parents away.

[ChuckElias]

Originally Posted by coach41

Specator seating is literally on top of the players and refs.

How do you run the court with a spectator literally sitting on you?

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by ChuckElias

How do you run the court with a spectator literally sitting on you?

Have you seen the size of this guy's thighs? He could easily carry two spectators!

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by ChuckElias

How do you run the court with a spectator literally sitting on you?

He didn't say spectators, he said specators.

btw...you're pretty quick with that edit button, aintchya?