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Today, at morning assembly, our athletic director berated us for booing and taunting the opposing team at a soccer game. He said that we should "only cheer positively for our team, and occasionally boo the official's calls." As an official (basketball timer) who was right next to him, I was shocked. Any idea what I should say to him to have this grievous error fixed?

Yeah - tell this clown that in class, you'll cheer on your fellow students and boo the teacher's instructions. If you are an official, you must protest. I would download all the info on referee abuse in our society from the NASO site (naso.org) and give it to him. Then I would tell him to write a 500 word essay on why it's OK for Robbie Alomar to spit on an umpire. Then I would spit on him and see how he likes it. If you have a school paper, a letter on his behavior might be nice. The theme should be, which is really worse, yelling at the other team, or yelling at the officials - and why. Need any help - contact me. We just passed assault legislation in my state. In his case, AD stands for Adult Dope. Am I mad, yet?

I never "boo" an officials call. I may stand up with my arms in the air as all questioners do and say "What about...?", or "Where is the...?" I never boo anybody. Now that I am an official, I only do this if I am not calling any game that night in that gym. I usually pull out my notebook and write down the problem. I found when I confront the official, he saw something or was doing something with game managment that I was not aware of.

Mark,
Calm down. http://www.ereferee.com/ubb/smile.gif One of the things I have told myself to work on this season, "don't get mad". I have the "in charge card" when officiating, but how I use that card is all up to me. I must have the smallest ears in the gym, cause I seldom hear fans booing or yelling. I am usually so focused on the game that I've had to adjust to coaches calling a time-out now. I figure a fan pays his $3.00or whatever and that gets him the right to run his mouth as long as it is not obsene or abusive. An AD should know better than to encourage fans to boo officials though. I would certainly do as you suggested and add what would he do if all officials QUIT! What a mess things would be in. And I have thought about quitting many times after a particularlly bad night. You know one of those nights when you and your partners are on different pages and nothing is working right. Those are the nights I dress very slowly trying to refelct on the night events and what I could have done to improve the picture. Sometime post game conference is as important as pre-game. Opps! I just fell off of my soap box. Got an FCO, Fellowship of Christian Officials, basketball clinic next weekend so I am going to be busy getting prepared. God bless. Later. Jerry.

[This message has been edited by Jerry Baldwin (edited October 02, 1999).]

A rather ironic follow-up to this incident.

At a JV soccer game that night, the official did not show up (the AD probably forgot to hire one), so who filled in? The AD!!!! From what I heard, he called fouls (including a red card for fighting) against our team, but none against our opponents. Plus, he wasn't fully versed in the offsides rule. I just wish I was there to "cheer" him on.

Have you ever gone to a HS bball game and just observed the officials? Having a 'bird's eye view' of the entire court is an advantage. Fans I think get confused,(sometimes an understatement), on incidental contact and advantage/disadvantage. Some contact look like a foul from the stands, but it puts neither team at a disadvantage and so no call is made and good flow to the game continues. Sometimes I stand on the court during a timeout and wonder what it would be like if the fans (and most coaches) would read the rule book just once. Just a thought.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry Baldwin (Post 544)

So, Jerry - how did the clinic go? :)

??????? Did you set your calendar for this one, Mark?

Now that's pulling one from way back.

Does anyone have this forum's very first post.

NFHS - High School Today

Here is an article that I wrote for the November issue of the National Federation's magazine -- High School Today The article will be reproduced in the State of New York Scholastic Journal in January:

Quote:

“Positive Cheering – The ONLY answer”

At the start of the 2008 high school season athletic directors and school administrators came to the Oregon School Activities Association with an evolving problem.

“Schools came to us and noted that sportsmanship in general had begun to erode across the State,” noted Cindy Simmons State Assistant Executive director, “and, in some cases, the poor sportsmanship was even organized.”

Student crowds all across America have become more-and-more influenced by famous groups such as “the Cameron Crazies” at Duke University. The “Crazies” are well know to camp out long before home basketball games to get the choice seats near floor level to participate in organized activities that are often directed to visiting players.

Chants of “Air Ball – Air Ball” often fill television screens across America as the “Crazies” look for new ways to upset visiting athletes.

“High school and college are so different in terms of maturity and even accomplishments that the “college” staged shows of poor sportsmanship just don’t fit in high school sports,” commented Peter Weber State Assistant, “we view a high school contest as an extension of the classroom and a learning experience.”

The OSAA, through the Executive Board, took time to review all issues involved and develop a well thought-out plan to help turn the issue around.

“Positive Cheering, my what a concept,” said Simmons, “we just lost site of what high school contests were about and had to remind all fans that high school is singulary different than all other ports.”

As the OSAA started to define negative cheering the list grew and grew: booing and negative comments to sports officials soon opened the list to the “Cameron Crazies” action of either acting bored (reading a newspaper or simply turning their backs to the floor) when visiting teams were announced pre-game. The OSAA found that a specific list would be too long and open to many issues of the specifics of negative cheering.

Weber added: “We just started to recognize that all we had to do was accent Positive Cheering and ask schools to self police issues that are outside that direction.”

The system drew the wrath of some “fans” in 2008. Newspaper message boards were full of comments attacking the premise and the “lack of creativity” that fans were allowed to bring to games.

The OSAA has stood firm.

“The best thing is,” mentioned Simmons, “that this summer when the athletic directors met we specifically asked if they wanted us to end this rule – their reaction was immediate and strong.”

Their answer: “Keep it as it is!”

“What we discovered when we reviewed the rule is that school size (Oregon has six classifications) really didn’t have anything to do with it,” intoned Weber, “what we did find that sometimes it was a specific league that had troubles and that is probably based on the concept of: ‘We’ve always done it this way!’”

Again, except in a very serious violation the system is self reporting.

“Some time the OSAA is looked at as a sheriff,” commented Simmons, “we really aren’t – we are just clearing house for when things come up that need a true neutral review and a look from outside the issue.”

The Oregon School Activities Association has their hands full. Noted Executive Director Tom Welter, “we have pressing issues with eligibility, with open enrollment that allows any student to transfer simply by showing cause that becomes paramount – and we also deal almost daily with the Oregon Legislature and the State Department of Education.”

Tell him he need to find God in his life and that you will Pray for him and his family.