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Long-time referees (裁判) in different youth sports say there's an expectation for referees to be perfect. Parents want their children to excel, and coaches are under pressure to win. Sometimes, they say, referees become a scapegoat (替罪羊).
Perry Petterle, who is with the USA Hockey Officiating Program, says the number of teen and pre-teen referees is dropping. He says before the COVID—19 pandemic the program had about 4,000 registered referees, but they're now down to about 1,700.
" It's happening in soccer, it's happening in other sports, the abuse (辱骂) that is coming from coaches and parents. It has a bad effect on a young kid, young lady or young man that's out there refereeing, " says Petterle.
Referees have to bear the abuse.
" I've been in rinks (溜冰场) where I've had to go up to parents, and it's happened three times this year, because you have parents banging on the glass, shouting at the official for a missed call (裁判员的判决). Yes, they're gonna make mistakes and I go up and try to educate that parent, ‘Hey, we've got a 13-year-old kid out here. You know, we need him to stay in the program,' " he says.
Of the 41 years he's been involved in refereeing, Petterle says the abuse has become more common in the last 10 years. Carlos Folino, who's refereed soccer for 37 years, agrees.
"For the most part, it's getting to the point where youth used to think that it was a good way to make a few extra dollars, better than flipping hamburgers. But with all the shouting and abusing that they get, it's not worth it. And that word gets to his or her friend and his or her friend won't join because of that, " says Folino, Michigan State Referee Administrator.
Folino says it needs changing. Petterle says education and communication are part of a possible solution to bringing respect for referees back to youth sports.