From the Editor – We Feel Its Worth Repeating

Perhaps you read the letter from Mr. Joel Mengerink in the Continental Local Schools’ January newsletter. If you missed it, we want to put it back out there for you – its worth repeating. Kudos to Mr. Mengerink for broaching the subject that affects all sporting events that involve kids of all ages. Let’s cheer on the teams and let the officials do their jobs.

Respect Needed for Officials
By Joel Mengerink, Superintendent

One of the many issues facing sports these days is the lack of qualified officials to cover athletic contests. This isn’t just a basketball issue, a soccer issue, a football issue, or a baseball issue. It is an issue that encompasses every sport and at all levels of interscholastic athletics.

Men and women choose to don the black and white stripes as a way to stay connected with sports. Not only do officials have a responsibility to know and enforce the rules, as a matter of safety they must also be on the lookout for student-athletes that may be injured as well. Making split-second decisions and judgment calls for an hour or more is not an easy task, nor is it taken lightly by those who choose to become an official. Sure they get paid a nominal paycheck, but remember it is not their full-time job. They are also doing this while sacrificing time away from their families in the evenings and weekends so that these sporting events can take place. Officiating is not an easy job and if you think it is you should give it a try, I have.

Sure officials are an easy target for the reason we lose a game on the scoreboard. Instead of insisting if the official made that one call that they “missed” we would have won the game, try cheering our athletes on more instead. There are literally hundreds of “what if” scenarios during the course of a game that have an impact on the outcome, and its not all just the officials. Athletes and coaches make decisions and perform just as well.

Everyone know some officials are better than others, just as some coaches are better than others, and some players are better than others. Does it really matter? If you are one of the “better” officials, where are you more likely to return to officiate next year, a place where you were harassed and berated the whole game or place where the fans just leave you alone and let you do your job – that’s an easy one to answer.

Instead of looking for the negatives and making sure everyone in the gym or on the field knows about it, how about being more positive or encouraging towards those involved. Not everyone in the stands is negative – I have gotten to hear my share of encouraging comments from some fans at games and I love that. Unfortunately it is the negative comments that you hear the loudest.

It seems the days of attending a sporting event to simply cheer on your team have come and gone. Now, spectators seem to feel that paying admission to a contest gives them the authority to berate and verbally abuse anyone involved in the game. This includes not only the officials, but also the players and coaches involved. As adults, we should be setting the example for our students to follow. Unfortunately, the example that we are setting for them is not a positive one in this aspect.

To steal a line from the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA), we need to do a better job of respecting everyone involved in athletic contests, and Respect the Game.