My officials won't blow their whistle

[Adam]

Tell them if they don’t get their heads out of their collective azzes, you'll bring in volunteer parents.
Tell them to eat before they come to the game so they don’t have to swallow their whistles during the game.
If you think the pressure is too much for them, have a group therapy session and discuss empathy or something.

Seriously, maybe get out there and ref a game with each of them. Do it three whistle, if you want. Get together with them during timeouts and intermissions to discuss individual plays. It might be that officiating isn't for them, who knows.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Seriously, maybe get out there and ref a game with each of them. Do it three man, if you want.

Unless there are some girls, in which case use three whistle.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

Unless there are some girls, in which case use three whistle.

I've corrected the original, and will sentence myself (note the correct usage) to diet soda the rest of the day.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

I've corrected the original, and will sentence myself (note the correct usage) to diet soda the rest of the day.

That's a little harsh. But, btw, how much pop do you drink in a day? Maybe to make the game better I"ll impose a sentence of just less total pop. You'll get the advantages to your health as well as your vocabulary.

[Mark Padgett]

Over the past 15+ years, I've trained quite a few HS kids to ref low level rec games starting with 3rd grade. It's my opinion that the reason they are hesitant to blow the whistle sometimes is not because they don't recognize when they should, but that they are relatively self-conscious or shy and don't want to draw attention to themselves. During training, I work on building their confidence to blow the whistle and let them know that if they make mistakes, it's not the end of the world. I tell them to work as many games as they can and try to match them with veterans for most of their first season. This seems to help a lot.

Of course, the kids who express an interest in officiating aren't usually the type who are extremely shy in the first place, thank goodness. That makes my job easier.

I tell them the more they work, the closer they will eventually get to being perfect, like me.

[Mark Dexter]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

I tell them the more they work, the closer they will eventually get to being perfect or being like me.

Fixed it!

[refnrev]

This not blowing the whistle or not blowing it loudly is a real "kid thing." Have had the same problem with youth soccer officials for years... some as old as 17. They just won't fill the stupid thing up with air. Drive me crazy.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

That's a little harsh. But, btw, how much pop do you drink in a day? Maybe to make the game better I"ll impose a sentence of just less total pop. You'll get the advantages to your health as well as your vocabulary.

Actually, it was an empty sentence.
Most days now, I don't drink any. I'm quitting, and part of the method is to force myself to drink diet when I drink pop. I'm not a fan of the diet flavor, so it helps.
I probably have one or two cans a week now. Partly to lose weight and partly to keep my heart rate down.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

Unless there are some girls, in which case use three whistle.

Thank you.

[dblref]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

Unless there are some girls, in which case use three whistle.

With some of my partners, I wasn't always sure if it was 3-man or 3-whistle. I did know for sure that it would be at least 1-man (me) on the 3-whistle team.

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Tell them if they don’t get their heads out of their collective azzes, you'll bring in volunteer parents.

Good luck with that one. In my experience, it is easier to get parents to volunteer to clean toilets than to officiate anything.