Youth referees - and why we don't have any.

[rich]

Mentors are brilliant for sure, if the club can afford to have them around. Cases of parents and coaches yelling at referees is too common. That's why we either have teenagers or 50 year olds refereeing. The teens quit, because the crap that they put up with is not worth the few dollars they're paid. That leaves the older fellows, who may be good referees, but there's only so many of them, and they struggle keeping up with the older boys. We need referees in the 25-40 age range...and they are rarer then hen's teeth.

 

[TKBC]

25-40 year olds are too busy with families, and making proper money at their "real" jobs - teenagers (who want to make some cash in the morning while their friends are sleeping and not work Monday-Friday so they can focus on school and other hobbies) and 50+ year olds (who need a hobby) are all we are ever going to have. But we definitely need some way to punish the behaviour that is exceptionally unacceptable. I think this starts with immediate suspension of coaches should parents act inappropriately.

Coaches can tell parents that if they misbehave it is first he who gets punished. After that I think points reduction and/or forfeit automatically. Base it solely on the report of the ref.

The down side to this is if the parents don't like their teams coach they may act out one game on purpose!

Don't get me wrong - I've defo had a run in .... or more .... with refs. It took me years to really get some proper perspective. But once I learned this....

 

[easoccer]

There are also 16ish year old refs who I have seen tell coaches to shut up, threaten, and even try to bully adults. There are issues going on both sides.

Of course there are also ref's who go out of there way to be good to everyone.

 

[TKBC]

There are also 16ish year old refs who I have seen tell coaches to shut up, threaten, and even try to bully adults. There are issues going on both sides.

Of course there are also ref's who go out of there way to be good to everyone.

I have no doubt both these statements are true!