Respect the refs

I get it. We’re protective of and love our children, and we put a lot of time and money into their athletic endeavors. When they’re out there on the field or court of play, all we want to see is them succeed, and the barriers to that success are their opponents and—sometimes, in our minds—the referees.

So, naturally, parents and family can get, how shall we say, overzealous at times in our scrutiny of officials. We question their integrity and morality and wonder when they had their last eye exam.

In my eight years of covering prep sports, I’ve seen and heard my share of unsportsmanlike conduct from spectators—the heated words and finger pointing. Luckily, it’s never escalated to physical violence on my watch, like it has in so many other venues over the years.

But, still, any bad behavior by coaches, parents and fans cannot be excused. It’s the main reason officials are quitting faster than new ones are signing up.

In a recent op-ed written by Dr. Karissa Niehoff, chief executive officer of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), and Que Tucker, commissioner of the N.C. High School Athletic Association, the authors say “enough is enough.”

They wrote, “There’s an unfortunate trend continuing in North Carolina and across the nation that must be stopped: the bad behavior of coaches, parents and fans at high school athletic events.

“We’ve all seen it: the yelling, harassing, berating, disrespecting and even physically assaulting high school referees, umpires and other officials during and after games. And oftentimes, the harassment continues on social media. Perhaps you’ve witnessed it firsthand or even been one of those offenders yourself.

“Not only is this behavior unacceptable and embarrassing, but it’s also having serious consequences on the future of high school sports.

“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.”

Niehoff and Tucker point out the “major area of concern for states like North Carolina just to cover games. We’re already seeing middle school and JV games being cancelled and, in some cases, varsity games too. All because there aren’t enough officials.”

The bottom line, they say, is that with no high school officials, there can be no high school sports.

Niehoff explains that the NFHS is partnering with state high school associations across the country to launch the nationwide #BenchBadBehavior campaign.

“We’ll use the power of social media along with other tools to help educate everyone about the importance of good behavior at high school athletic events.”

How can you help? By being a positive role model at your high school’s athletic events, explain the authors. And to step up as a licensed official, sign up at highschoolofficials.com and help fill an urgent need in N.C. prep athletics.