Young hockey officials wear green arm bands to reduce verbal abuse | 24CA News
It’s no secret some minor hockey followers and coaches can cross a line after they do not agree with a referee’s name. But a brand new initiative rolling out in Cole Harbour hopes to guard younger officers from verbal abuse.
“Anyone who is seventeen and under who is considered a youth will be wearing a green arm band, whether they are a referee or a linesman,” mentioned Jason Clark, referee-in-chief with the Cole Harbour Minor Hockey Association.
“If these arm bands can deter people from yelling at these young officials, then it will help us retain them.”
Posters are up all through the 2 ice surfaces at Cole Harbour Place to let opposing groups and spectators know concerning the new arm bands.
“Without officials we don’t play games, so it’s good to see someone take the initiative here to start a program like this,” mentioned Jeff MacAloney, an Under-13 hockey coach from the East Hants Minor Hockey Association. “It’s a great idea and I think more associations should be looking into it.”
In reality extra hockey associations across the province at the moment are starting to put on them.
“We are trying to inform the public that these officials wearing the green arm bands are novice officials and we need to be supporting them,” mentioned Bobby O’Handley, referee-in-chief with the Glace Bay Minor Hockey Association, now utilizing the brand new arm bands.
“Who would want to go down to the rink to be subject to verbal harassment for the $20-$22 they might be getting to do a game.”
Hockey officers can begin working video games on the age of 14. But many younger referees solely do it for a season or two due to the insults directed at them. Some younger officers in Cole Harbour are already seeing the arm bands making a distinction.
“I’ve definitely had coaches yell and get kicked out of games,” mentioned Dylan McMullen, a 17-year-old official now in his fourth season officiating video games in Cole Harbour. “But since we’ve been wearing the green arm bands, it seems like they’re not yelling as much.”
Some opposing hockey coaches and oldsters mentioned they did not know concerning the arm bands till they noticed posters on the rink or officers carrying them.
“I wasn’t aware of it until I got to the rink tonight,” mentioned Paul MacKinnon. “We need young people learning safely, and with no pressures, to officiate hockey and baseball and other amateur sports, too.”
If there’s much less abuse of youthful officers, extra of them may stay within the recreation, says referee Clark.
“The bottom line is the numbers of officials are dying off,” he mentioned. “There were 30,000 referees in Canada last year and 10,000 of them quit.”
