Backscreen, be careful what you wish for.
If you take away all of the old, unfit referees, who will take their place? I’m not sure about all areas of the state (or nation, or world), but around here, there is a shortage of referees. The assignors cannot get enough refs on some nights and weekends, and most refs are working more games than they want.
High school and youth club refs fall into two basic categories: the “old and unfit” who have been doing this for years and get abused for being behind play and being blind; and the new, young and fit referees who get abused for not understanding the nuances of the job and lacking the gravitas to control the game. The referee that you are requesting is the guy whose has years of experience, but hasn’t lost his fitness. There are very few people aged 25 – 35 who started refereeing as teenagers that are still interested in this as a hobby or source of secondary income. Many of today’s young referees could become the next generation of great referees, but most don’t last past the first year or two.
So, instead of complaining about old refs, what can you do to help encourage the teenager nervously doing her first U12 game or the college student struggling through a testosterone-filled HS game? Until we (parents, coaches, referees, administrators, etc.) can get enough of the young ones to stick around long enough to become good referees, you’ll be stuck with old, fat guys like me. I have two sons who are currently officiating high school matches. I’m providing all of the encouragement that I can. If they stick with it, maybe I can hang up my whistle soon. If enough of their friends stick with it, maybe the assignor can select young, fit and experienced referees for all games.
