April/May 2019 - 42

Timeout! Coaches must
help stem ref abuse
By Matt McCallum, CEO, Coach & Athletic Director
After nearly two decades of coaching basketball at
the youth, travel, middle school and varsity levels, I have
witnessed the intensity of cruel verbal attacks on officials
being taken to a new level. Twenty years ago, there was that
one guy who always screamed at the referees. Today, mobs
of fans berate officials after every call.
Parents also are becoming more hostile toward coaches.
At a game this season, there was a fan from an opposing
school pointing and yelling at me all game. I wasn't sure
what he thought he would accomplish. Near the end of the
game, as the other team was trying to foul us, another fan
yelled at his team to " handicap " our players.
After the game, a coach from a nearby school who was
scouting our team walked down from the stands and told
me that the same belligerent fan wanted to punch me in
the face. I thought it was a joke. Then, one of the officials
walked over and said that the fan was a " disgrace " to that
school. He suggested we all walk out of the gym together
to ensure our safety.
Is this what it has come to?
Enough is enough. It's time that coaches work with
the referee associations and school administrators to
take drastic action to curb bad behavior. The National
Federation of State High School Associations has taken a
step in the right direction and partnered with state athletic
associations to ask sports parents to do a better job of
managing their emotions at games.
Coaches and athletic directors everywhere may have
already read the op-ed, " Dear Mom and Dad: Cool It! " The
organizations launched the campaign in January to combat
verbal - and sometimes physical - abuse against coaches
and referees at high school events.
This is a good first step, but I believe the best way to
combat this epidemic is a grassroots effort by coaches and
school districts to educate parents on proper behavior and
hold the bad actors accountable. Here are some ideas:
1. Coaches should lead by example and stop screaming
at the officials. If they have a concern, talk to the referee
quietly and refrain from putting on a show. When coaches
are animated in their displeasure, the crowd feeds on those
actions in a negative way.
2. Communicate to parents prior to the season
that screaming and booing at the officials is not
tolerated.
3. Talk to players about being respectful to
officials, and why it's important that they set a
good example for parents and fans.
4. Work with school administrators to make
sure bad characters are held accountable and
42 APRIL/MAY 2019

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