In the spirit of the holiday season I was planning on writing
this column to implore the South Valley sports fan to take it easy
on the hard-working referees and officials that make sporting
events possible. But rumor has it here in the South Valley the
officiating often leaves something to be desired.
By Leann Shea
In the spirit of the holiday season I was planning on writing this column to implore the South Valley sports fan to take it easy on the hard-working referees and officials that make sporting events possible. But rumor has it here in the South Valley the officiating often leaves something to be desired.
So I wonder, it the officiating really that deplorable or are fans, coaches and players holding them to an unachievable standard?
In my experience, one of the very first things we are taught about sports is how to belittle and berate the officials. I would parrot my father, a little league coach, when he would yell at an umpire “What are you blind?” or “Get your head out of your @%*&!”
Charming, I know. But the older I got one of the most common ground across all sports and fans alike, is the dislike of the referees.
It doesn’t seem to matter what sports or which team you are rooting for, fans will always find fault with some calls an official makes.
I know I have been guilty of this nearly all of my life, I’ll even go as far as to admit that I have had to be physically restrained on a sideline due to what I deemed was a bogus call, but recently I have begun to develop the theory that bad calls tend to even out in the long run and referees, contrary to popular belief, are human beings capable of mistakes, just trying to do their jobs to the best of their abilities.
Most officials at the local and high school level are providing their services on a part-time basis. These are not people who have been specifically trained and reviewed on their performances.
In the Tri-County Athletic League, officials are provided by Peninsula Sports Management, whose business it is to supply officials to the leagues in the South Valley according to TCAL commissioner Tim McCarthy. Peninsula Sports Management is accredited through the California Interscholastic Federation and officials are paid a fee for each game, usually $35-$50 depending on the sport.
When you are playing, coaching or a fan of a particular sports team it is easy to feel like the officials are against you. Plays unfold in seconds and without the benefit of electronic instant replay, there are many different perspectives with many different opinions how what actually happened.
Just in the last week, at every game I went to cover there were either fans, players or coaches visibly and verbally upset with the officials.
In the physical match between the Live Oak and Gilroy boys soccer teams, spectators on both sides were disgusted with the foul calls of the referee. Not on just one of the calls, ALL of the calls were verbally challenged by the fans. Some of the calls were legitimate, others may have been questionable, but that was just my perception and 50 other people may disagree with me.
The Sobrato girls varsity basketball team has also come up against officiating that has handicapped their young squad. According to coach Rodney Tabares, during two of the Bulldogs’ losses last week, poor referees contributed to Sobrato’s difficulties.
Even the Central Coast Section has concerns over the officiating of girls and boys water polo. They are so concerned in fact a task force has been created to look into ways they can attract more officials who are qualified in water polo. In this case under-qualified officials is contributing to the danger of the sport.
Being an official is one of the most difficult jobs in athletics, you are hated for the get go and every call you make is going to make someone unhappy. It is not an enviable position, yet there are still people willing to take the heat.
I think the best way to ensure that we have the best officiating available is to require the qualifications and accreditations to be of the highest standard. Beyond that, to err is human and you can’t always win them all.
LeAnn Shea is the sports editor of the Morgan Hill Times and can be reached at 408-779-4106 or at [email protected]
