Good youth sports officials are a big part of what makes youth sports fun and enriching for kids. These days, however, we are experiencing challenges attracting and securing good youth sport officials, resulting in many unnecessary problems. The most obvious concern centers around on-field safety, but keeping kids physically safe is just a small part of what good officials bring to youth sports. While you might not always notice, responsible officials also create great competitive environments, protect kids from unnecessary mental stress, emphasize integrity and sportsmanship, and oversee games that allow kids to develop important sport fundamentals. With poor officials, none of those things happen, making it important to prioritize attracting the best youth sports officials.
Why youth sport officials matter
It can be argued that youth sports officials work a thankless job. When they call a great game, they are rarely noticed, but miss one call and things can get ugly really fast. In worst-case scenarios, kids become even more at-risk for serious injuries when referees are poorly trained and/or not invested in working a clean game. In fact, often when big physical fights occur in youth sports (on the field or in the stands), irresponsible officiating factors in when referees allow potentially ugly situations to develop (i.e. not controlling tempers between kids competing, or issuing a warning to unruly parents heckling from the stands).
I have attended a few youth games recently and witnessed firsthand the potential dangers that can occur when officials take a relaxed attitude to the job. Beyond fouls that should be called but aren’t, when referees are not tuned in, legal blocking and tackling can soon turn into unacceptable pushing, shoving, and full-on physical fights. When kids sense that the rules aren’t being consistently enforced, their focus shifts from playing the game they’ve been taught to either protecting themselves or testing boundaries, assuming that if officials aren’t calling anything, anything must be allowed. In these situations kids learn from youth sports that rules don’t really matter, play cheap if you can get away with it, and sportsmanship is over-rated. This kind of sport environment also leaves kids at-risk for mental and physical distress on every play. Is this kind of sloppy and dangerous youth sport environment one that you want for your child?
Good youth sport officials, when you are able to secure them, offer an entirely different youth sport experience for kids. First, they make sure playing conditions are safe, including fan behavior. These officials also keep a fun, upbeat attitude, and encourage kids to do the same. Good officials prioritize sportsmanship, and stay tuned in when hostile situations are developing (on the field or in the stands). All of these behaviors allow kids to compete hard, develop sport fundamentals, win and lose with respect for the opponents, and avoid potentially dangerous mental and physical situations. Furthermore, when kids compete in safe and healthy environments, only then are they able to truly maximize the youth sport experience and learn invaluable life skills that will serve them well beyond the playing field for the rest of their lives. I’ll guess that you prefer this type of a sport environment for your child over the previous scenario described.
Final thoughts
Youth sport officials are a big part of making youth sports a great experience for kids. Because of this, league operators, school athletic directors, coaches, sport parents, and other helping professionals need to prioritize attracting responsible officials — and pay them accordingly. As you can see, a lot rides on the caliber of sport officials working your kid’s games, and how much experiences can vary when comparing games managed between good and bad officials. Help your kids gain the most from the youth sport experience by supporting your school and/or league to find and secure good officials, keeping in mind the value good officials bring to the overall sport experience.
drstankovich.com
