Write your search in the input below and press enter.
Esc to close.

The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich

Peak Performance:
Not Just for Sports, for Life

  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
    • Recent
    • Athletes
    • Coaching
    • Sports Parenting
    • Sports Administrators
    • Life
    • Administrators
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Hello. Sign In

My Account
  • Login
  • Register
0
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk
Subscribe
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich
  • Recent
  • Athletes
  • Coaching
  • Sports Parenting
  • Life
  • Administrators
Home / Blog / 4 Expectations You Should Have for Youth Sport Referees

4 Expectations You Should Have for Youth Sport Referees

By: Dr. Chris Stankovich | @DrStankovich | Jan 29, 2017

No Comments

One issue of contention that I regularly hear at my office are concerns relating to sports officiating; specifically, problems relating to how some referees officiate games.  This is an important topic worthy of discussion, as officials play a very important role in game-play, sportsmanship, and safety relating to all competitors.  So, what should you expect from the officials working your kid’s games?

The reality

The first thing to remember about sports officials is that they are human, and they will absolutely miss calls from time-to-time.  Even at the professional sports level we see referees blow calls, especially in this day and age of instant replay where the misses become even more magnified.  The point is that even the best, most well-trained sports officials don’t always get it right all of the time.

A big part of the reason why calls are missed on the field has to do with how fast sports have become — even at the youth level.  Plays happen quickly, and sports officials are regularly challenged to keep their focus and attention on multiple things at the same time.  When you enter in emotions, fatigue, and various other distractions (i.e. crowd noise), it becomes rather easy to see how officials can sometimes miss things.

Now that we have provided more depth and breadth to the challenges of being a sports official, we can turn our attention to basic expectations you should have for the officials working your kid’s games.

own the game

What you should expect from sports officials

Sports officials from youth sports to the pros are trained relating to the expectations pertaining to the level of sport they officiate.  When it comes to early youth officiating, the main goal is safety and keeping things moving so that kids can enjoy participating in the sport.  On the other hand, professional officials are required to go through extensive, ongoing training to meet the demands of working at the highest levels in sports.  In between those two polar ends of the spectrum you can, at minimum, expect the following:

  • Knowledge of the rules.  Officials at all levels of sports should have a basic understanding of the rules pertaining to the sport(s) they officiate.  It is important to note that there is a difference between a bad call and a wrong call — as was mentioned previous, officials will make bad calls from time-to-time, but when they make wrong calls it is a reflection of not knowing the rule (something officials can be held accountable for when working games).  Officials should also be accountable for staying on top of any cheating that might be occurring.
  • Hustle.  It is a reasonable to expect officials to keep up with the action and work hard to get in position to make appropriate calls on the field.  Remember, they won’t always be in the perfect spot to make the call, but they should always be working toward being where they need to be during game play.
  • Respect.  Officials should always model sportsmanship and show respect to all players, coaches, fans, and the game itself.  Additionally, officials should make a point to do what they can to model these behaviors for everyone else to follow as well.  Respecting the game includes hustling, refraining from vulgar language, tempering hostile attitudes on the field, and addressing brewing situations before they get out of hand.
  • Safety.  Officials are expected to pay close attention to safety factors relating to the game, including field conditions, expected storms that could impact safety, equipment, and any other factors that could leave kids in harms way.

soccermom2

Conclusion

The reality is that youth sport officials are often held to high standards, and in some cases unreasonable standards in cases where parents expect them to be perfect.  Remember, the officials working your kids games will miss calls from time-to-time, just like professional officials do.  On the other hand, it’s not at all unreasonable for you to expect that officials have an understanding of the rules, hustle to get in the right spots to make calls, respect all competitors, and do what they can to ensure safety at all times.  Try to be understanding and supportive whenever possible, and remember being a sports ref is never an easy job at any level of sports.

What expectations do you have for youth sport officials?  Do you find that most live up to this level?

www.drstankovich.com

Interested in a tailored sport performance seminar delivered on-site at your school or league?  To learn more, or to seek individual counseling assistance please click here.

officials, Parents_old, psychology, referee, sport

  • Author
  • Comments
  • Details
Get to Know the Author

Dr. Chris Stankovich

Dr. Stankovich has written/co-written five books, including Positive Transitions for Student Athletes, The ParentsPlaybook, Mind of Steel.

Latest Blog Posts

  • March 22, 2023 Nature or Nurture? Exploring the Psychology of Sport Success
  • March 20, 2023 Morning Sports Practice Before School is Becoming the Norm, but is this Healthy for Kids?
  • March 14, 2023 Understanding Intelligence: Putting Knowledge into ACTION!
  • March 13, 2023 3 Important Tips for Today’s Multi-Sport, Youth Sport Athlete
  • February 26, 2023 The Most Important Sports “Ability” Might Surprise You

Comments are closed.

PREVIOUS POST

The Athlete’s Mind: RESPECT THE REF’S

NEXT POST

When is Too Much When it Comes to Youth Sports?

Category

Amateur , Athletes , Coaching , Communicating with Coach , Parent Training , Sport Philosophy , Sport Psychology , Sport Sociology , Sports Parenting , Sports Performance Science , Uncategorized , Youth and Interscholastic Sports

Tags

officials, Parents_old, psychology, referee, sport

  • Recent Posts
  • Most Read
  • Nature or Nurture? Exploring the Psychology of Sport Success
  • Morning Sports Practice Before School is Becoming the Norm, but is this Healthy for Kids?
  • Understanding Intelligence: Putting Knowledge into ACTION!
  • 3 Important Tips for Today's Multi-Sport, Youth Sport Athlete
  • The Most Important Sports "Ability" Might Surprise You
  • The Psychology Behind Breaking Bad Habits
  • What has Happened to Free Play and Recreational Sports for Kids?
  • The Importance of Efficiency Applied to Success & Productivity
  • The Most Important Sports "Ability" Might Surprise You
  • Accident Prone & Forgetful? Poor Stress Coping May be the Reason
  • The Sports Doc on TV

    Catch Dr. Stankovich’s tv, radio, and print interviews and columns here!

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Watch Videos
  • Sport Performance Assessment

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Quickly and accurately test your level of mental toughness in just a few minutes using the Sport Performance Assessment.

    (SPA), an easy-to-use sport psychology system specially designed to help you REACH YOUR FULL ATHLETIC POTENTIAL.

    learn more
  • SportsSuccess360

    Life strategies for performance and character development for coaches, parents, and student athletes competing in youth and interscholastic sports.

    Life Strategies learn more
  • Contact Dr. Stankovich

    1395 Grandview Avenue Suite 6, Columbus OH 43212

    (614) 561-4482
    Media & General Inquiries
    information@drstankovich.com
    Sales & Product Support
    sales@drstankovich.com
  • About Dr. Stankovich

    • Media
    • Blog
    • Testimonials
  • Products

    • Toolkits
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Audio
    • iPhone Apps
  • Services

    • Athlete Performance Training
    • Parent Community Forum
    • Coach Education & Development
    • Athletic Crisis Response and Intervention
    • Drug & Alcohol Assessment
    • Life Success Programs
    • Counseling & Consulting Services
  • Blog
  • YouTube
  • twitter
  • facebook

All rights reserved © 2023 Advanced Human Performance Systems™

↓ ↓