I don’t know if you realize it, but we are experiencing a shrinking number of officials and coaches.  When I talk with parents, one of the more popular topics is about coaches and finding good ones.  Officials are only discussed if there was a game the client lost.

In the last 10 years, there has been a drop in registered football officials for the state of Ohio by 2500+ approximately.  That doesn’t account for the amount of officials that are registered, but have decided not to work any games.

With the drop in officials, we are getting to a point where games are going to be cancelled.  The varsity games will be the last to be impacted, but JV, Freshman, and below are frequently getting cancelled.

I’m citing football as an example, but it is happening in all sports.  In rural areas, it is getting harder and harder to find officials for volleyball, soccer, and/or track meets.

Why do you think the numbers are shrinking?  I’ll give you one guess at what is the most popular reason.  They’re tired of the verbal abuse they get.

“Get rid of the f&*@# ball!!  Why is she holding onto it?  We have to score!”  

My youngest had a soccer game this past weekend.  I heard this sentence uttered by a mother of a kid playing in the game before us.  She didn’t yell it for the world to hear.  She was saying it loud enough for the other parents she was sitting with to hear.  I just happened to be walking by.

I just thought it was a wee bit intense for a meaningless 7th grade soccer game.  But, that is the type of passion that is elicited from sports.  It is that passion from parents that has provided me a job and a way to support myself.  

It is also that type of passion that disgusts me when I hear stories of parents surrounding an official at his/her car after a game.

Some other reasons why officials are losing numbers:

  • The pay stinks.
  • The younger generation has no interest in doing it.
  • Combine those two with the perception of being harassed at every game and you ask, “what is the upside?”

These same reasons can also be applied to the coaches.  I try to get parents to understand that AD’s can only hire a coach from the stack of applications that sit in front of them.  If Urban Meyer didn’t apply for the job, then you aren’t getting an Urban Meyer.

Sometimes, you are hiring the coach that is less least qualified.

I had one coach say if he is able to go out on his own terms, when he finally calls it a day it will be because he is done dealing with parents.  He went on to tell me he had a parent show up at his house unannounced one afternoon to discuss his kid.

As coaches and officials, some of that is part of the territory.  If you ask me though, it is starting to trend in the direction where a lot of it is way over the top.  These are not professional athletes and they are not professional coaches.

In fact, I would argue these coaches are the most important ones.  Most of these kids will not go beyond high school if that.  You want this coach to make a huge positive impact on your athlete.  They can’t do it if you don’t allow them to do their job.

I’m not saying every coach is great, but I feel every one deserves respect.  I also believe the majority of these coaches get into it because they truly want to make an impact on these athletes’ lives.  And most still feel that way despite all the shenanigans they have to put up with.

It is also way worse at the younger ages.  In my experience the parents acted like bigger fools when my kids were in 4th or 5th grade then they did at the high school sports.

Quality officials are done with it and pretty soon you will lose a lot of quality coaches.  

Ease up on these coaches and officials so that when your kids think back on their playing days they are actually remembering the games and fun times they had playing.  Not the time their parent was kicked out of the stadium for being an a$$ to the officials.