Watch the video above: a decrease in the number of hockey referees in Saskatoon is being partially blamed on verbal abuse.
SASKATOON – The abuse some hockey referees take from players, coaches and fans is forcing some to quit, according to the Saskatoon Referees Association (SRA).
Officials taking verbal abuse game after game is taking its toll on the ice and the association has seen a decrease of about 40 refs this year from 2012.
“People see it on TV, see it at the high levels and obviously think that the abuse of the officials is part of the game,” said SRA president Chad Williams.
“I think at some point it might be alright for high level officials and older people to take the abuse a little bit better than 14- or 13-year-olds.”
Referees are out there to ensure player safety and make sure the game runs smoothly.
It’s the second and third year officials who are deciding to hang up their whistle and it’s penalizing local hockey.
“The game cannot be played without officials, it can’t be played without players and cannot be played without coaches, we’re all in this together so we need to work on it together,” said Kelly Boes, Saskatoon Minor Hockey Association executive director.
Minor hockey is backing the referees and met last week to discuss ways to alleviate concerns.
“They were able to get on it right away and come up with a plan to get on top of what’s happening right now. Obviously we can’t grow 40 referees in a short period of time but we need to take better care of the ones we have right now,” said Boes.
Groups aren’t painting all parents and coaches with the same brush but say it only takes one to ruin it for hockey enthusiasts.
Saskatoon minor hockey has a zero tolerance policy towards abusive actions and formal complaints can result in lengthy suspensions for coaches, players and parents.
Comments