Heightism in Officiating

[Canfootball52]

The fact of the matter is this. As sports officials, fans, players, and coaches will find any reason to verbally attack us. It's just the nature of the game. Let's face it, we're not the most popular people out there. I'm 6'1", 224 lbs. I take just as much abuse as someone smaller. In case you haven't guessed, I'm usually assigned the Umpire position. I had a player once call me a "pot-bellied porker". Did I let it bother me? Absolutely not. I think you're problem is that you're insecure about your appearance and you're ashamed of who you are. Maybe sports officiating is not for you. Not because of your size, but because of your own self-esteem. If you're just here to whine and complain, then go find another message board.

[canadaump6]

I am not insecure about who I am, my size or my abilities as an umpire. When that coach said "we've got a f***ing 12 year old doing our game, it didn't bother me,". Rather it was him that was bothered by my size, and that becomes my problem because size and quality of officiating are not related. I have experienced firsthand the effects of heightism. Don't make personal judgements about me or tell me to go to another forum.

By the way, I was in a really bad mood a few days ago when I started this thread, so that may account for some of the anger expressed in it, but I do stand by everything I wrote.