Why we don't kick in youth league around here!

[Canned Heat]

Originally Posted by Suudy

These funky rules, like the 150# limit, are why I've quit doing youth football. None of the coaches know the rules. None of the parents know the rules. And certainly none of the kids know the rules. Yet it is the officials who get blasted for enforcing rules that nobody knows. When we had a parent run down on the field screaming at us and pushing me for screwing his kid out of TD when we blew the play dead when a kid with a stripe on his helmet (the marker for 150# or over), that was the last straw. Numerous times we've had parents on the field cussing us out, cussing coaches out, and coaches throwing hissy fits, and getting ZERO support from the league administrators. Finally, several of us in our association told them all to go to hell. They can do it themselves.

And every year our assignor begs the association to get enough volunteers to cover the youth games. And every year we hear the same stories of out of control parents and coaches. Until the league clamps down on the ridiculous behavior, I'm done, and several of my peers are done.

I stopped doing those 3 years ago....came back and did a 4 game set 3 weeks ago, helping out another official I've known for years. He asked how it went afterward and I told him I wouldn't do these again if they paid $150 per game. You are exactly right though...you have dad's coaching their sons (new guys every year for each team for the most part) and you have those same coaches and parents that don't know the NFL rules they watch on Sundays, better yet this league's rules, or how those rules differ. Every kid on the field is named Johnny Imgettingafullridetocollegeplayingfootballsomeday. You have coaches with no respect for anyone or the officials so now you have kids saying stuff that would've got me tossed out of games back in the 80's when I was in school. Good friend of mine was asked to come back and help assist coaching a local 5th grade team...(wait for it .....5th grade.) He told me this last week after they lost again that they have 45 plays on offense. No, that's not a typo. He had 8 - 10 was he was the HC a dozen years ago and they were competing for championships here.

The apocalypse gets closer by the day....

[JRutledge]

There was a time in my career where I had to do these games. Now I am a point of my career where I never have to work these games. Even when I could have used the money I choose to pass for my sanity. Even getting the money is often a hassle. Other than a brand new official, I do not see the reason to even work these games.

Peace

[Canned Heat]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

There was a time in my career where I had to do these games. Now I am a point of my career where I never have to work these games. Even when I could have used the money I choose to pass for my sanity. Even getting the money is often a hassle. Other than a brand new official, I do not see the reason to even work these games.

Peace

Unfortunately, this is also a main part of the problem with the lack of sports officials nationwide, not just football, but almost all sports. Entry level officials obviously err more than a veteran official when cutting their teeth and with the mindset, actions, and nonsense out of of some of today's fan base, spectators, and even player parents and coaches, a lot of these guys hang it up before they get a year under their belt, and may otherwise have blossomed into a pretty darn good official had it not been for a (insert here) berating them all the way to their vehicle on the way out.

This country has also gotten incredibly soft over the last 20 years. I branded it "The Wussification of America."