Yahoo Movies Kansas is losing youth sports referees. Parents, coaches, fans need to stop the abuse
Parents, coaches and fans of youth sports need to cool it. Unruly spectators and coaches are driving experienced game officials away from youth sports in record numbers, according to athletic administrators in Kansas. There’s a ref shortage nationwide, and sports of all kinds in the Sunflower State have been negatively impacted by a dearth of certified officials.
New blood has been hard to find. No one wants to be berated for what amounts to the equivalent of gas money. Varsity officials in Kansas make anywhere between $80 and $90 per game, according to the youth organizations and coaches we spoke with.
Bad behavior at high school sporting contests has led to a ref shortage in Kansas, said Bill Faflick, executive director of the Kansas State High School Activities Association. That has resulted in postponements, rescheduling or canceling of football, volleyball and soccer games at the sub-varsity level, Faflick said. Winter sports such as basketball and wrestling will face similar challenges.
“There’s an unfortunate trend continuing in Kansas and across the nation that must be stopped: the bad behavior of coaches, parents and fans at high school athletic events,” Faflick wrote in a recent op-ed he co-authored with Karissa Niehoff, CEO of the National Federation of State High School Associations.
“Not only is this behavior unacceptable and embarrassing, but it’s also having serious consequences on the future of high school sports,” the letter continued. “That’s because another unfortunate trend is sweeping the nation: a critical shortage of high school officials in every state. The #1 reason? You guessed it: Coaches, parents and fans mistreating officials.”
On Wednesday, we asked Faflick what prompted the letter.
“We have officials telling us they are being verbally abused by spectators,” Faflick said, adding that his organization has worked with youth groups around the state to curb disrespectful behavior seen at sporting events.
Since the 2018-2019 school year, more than 50,000 referees nationwide have left the profession, according to a NFHS survey of state high school associations. Kansas isn’t immune: Fifty-five percent of officials say verbal abuse from coaches, parents and fans is the biggest reason they quit, a fact Faflick stressed in his article.
It’s not uncommon for a youth basketball official to work games from sunup to sundown. Sometimes by themselves. The pay is minimal, $20 to $30 per game. Some sacrifice time with their own families. On a recent Sunday at a gym in the Shawnee Mission school district, several refs began their day at 10 a.m. and didn’t leave until after 8 p.m. The officials’ whistles would have been better off left in their gym bag, if some of the more vocal fans in attendance had their way.
We encourage parents of young athletes to familiarize themselves with the rules of the game. Youth and high school sports are officiated differently from college and professional sports. The rules vary from level to level and league to league. Another helpful suggestion: Parents and spectators not sure of a ref’s ability should consider a career as a certified official. Remember, without referees, the games won’t count.
“We can’t have competition without the men and women who adjudicate our contests,” Faflick told us. “In fairness, Mom and Dad can’t do it, and neither can coaches.”
As in any profession, there are referees who are inconsistent or not up to task. But certified refs are required to take a yearly test, attend rules and mechanics meetings, and often camps and clinics on their own dime. As spectators, the least we can do is extend grace to them.
The verbal abuse of youth sports officials must end. Or the games will.
