SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Girls Varsity Soccer Dreher Blue Devils 3-A State Champs 2002

to dhsgrad: It was obvious why the referee took some time in calling it a goal. Since he was not in the best position to see if the ball indeed crossed the goal line, he had to confer with the AR/ linesman. There was no doubt in the AR's mind that it was a goal as he sprinted up the sideline toward midfield, the universal signal to the center Ref that it was a goal. Since Mr. Norton was even further away from the play than the center Ref, and if he is as classy as you say, then would it not have been more appropriate for him to calmly ask what was happening? To receive a yellow card certainly indicates that he was doing more than just asking for an interpretation. When Eastside's second goal was disallowed because the Referee felt the keeper had control of the ball and it was kicked out of her hand,(not hands), Eastside's coach didn't protest nearly as much as Mr. Norton, when the call was just as subjective. Mr. Norton's histrionics are certainly more suited for a courtroom and I wish him well in pursuing his career. I just feel his tirade cast a shadow over what was otherwise a magnificent game. It's sad that parents and coaches can't set a more positive example by respecting the authority of Referees. They may not always be right, but they are the Referee and their decisions should be accepted with grace and dignity.

Eastside fan: I don't think too many people feel that "Norton cast a shadow over a magnificent game".. His arguing should not have influenced your watching a "magnificent game".. A coach has every right to argue a call and intervene when he/she deems it neccesary... You ask why he didn't ask calmly what was going on? --well he chose not to and it most likely motivated his team b/c the girls saw the fire in his eyes .. often times coach's/managers in various sports are able to motivate their players in this manner.. And in this case it worked...

Eastside Fan.. Dreher won and they won by playing great soccer. They are a good team. It does not matter about the coach or the refs they won. Columbia is very proud of them.

to pthom: You have missed the point of all my posts on this topic. Dreher played a great game and deserved to win. If you look at my previous posts on this thread, that should be clear. I was only trying to point out that the team displayed more class and integrity than the coach and the players should be commended for the way they conducted themselves.
As to why the coach behaved the way he did, the point I was trying to make was this type of behavior from individuals who are supposed to be setting a positive example, may be one reason why SC has the highest turnover rate among referees in the country. People who love the game put forth the effort to get certified and are constantly harrassed and abused by coaches and parents. No wonder so many games are officiated by inexperienced or bad referees. The good ones have retired because they don't want to put up with the lack of respect and support from parents and coaches. My experience has been that the players just want to play the game and will adjust to the referee. It is only when an "adult" begins to verbally assault the official that the players follow suit.
Again, congratulations to Dreher's Lady Blue Devils on the championship. The entire state can be proud of their accomplishment.

Norton didn't get yellow carded for yelling at the ref...he got it because he left the coaching area, meaning he got onto the field. Norton, in my opinion is one of the best coaches, girls and guys, in the state. Five years ago he got a team with a losing record and turned them around almost immediately. And in defense of his yelling...anybody would have argued that call. think about, you've just gone down 1-0 in a championship game. did you expect him to just sit down and shutup? please. Norton, good luck in school next year and congrats on all of your success.

Emilio

To Eastside fan: I saw your earlier posts and I'm glad that you commended the game. However, in one of your earlier posts, you somewhat implied that maybe one of Eastside's scores that wasn't counted was a goal. Your words were something to the effect of the goalie had one hand on the ball not two hands. If you look at the official rules, the goalie only has to have one full hand on the ball for him/her to have possession; thus, I would appreciate it if you didn't make such comments that would imply foul play. I believe that Norton did take appropriate action by yelling about the first goal because the ref clearly did not know exactly what to call. He frequently called things too late, and I believe that if Norton hadn't yelled about the first goal, the ref might have decided the second goal was legitimate too. As a player on the field, I was not disappointed by my coach, I was happy that he stood up for us. In some ways I'm glad they scored though because our team woke up and dominated the rest of the game. My coach took appropriate actions, and if his actions offended or embarassed you, DEAL WITH IT!

I can't comment on DHS coaching or the game in question. Just wondering who the new coach is and what DHS knows about him/her?

The new coach is Coach Klinefeld or Klinefelter...somethin' like that. He was the Lexington Boys coach and used to coach the boys at Dreher (a long time ago) until he resigned or got fired or something like that. I hear he yells a lot...does anyone know anything else besides that?

Read all the posts--Dreher parents should ask a lot of questions about their new coach. Perhaps the inquiries would be interesting.