Yell at The Soccer Ref in 24 Hours
Wasn’t it that famous advice columnist who once said that if you were thinking of writing a harsh letter to someone that it’s best to hold off sending it for twenty four hours; rereading it after a cooling off period may change your mine altogether about sending it. Just reading your own words when you were heated and agitated sometimes is like reading someone else’s words.
Same thing with soccer.
I find it just deplorable what folks shout out to the referee(s). What good does it do – I just don’t get it!
You are not going to change the way he/she is going to call the game or certainly you’ll have no affect on the outcome. People just like to blurt out these senseless, uneducated, and often harsh comments as if THEY were a factor in the game.
The referees are just an easy target and most likely the only one who is not going to push back. Are you really going to start yelling at other parents, coaches or kids (actually we’ve all seen example of those, too)?
It’s not an easy job being a referee of any sport, let alone youth soccer; put yourself in their shoes; would you want some soccer mom or dad telling you on each play that they know more than you – for a FULL game then doing it all over several times over the weekend? Heck no.
Personally, I don’t utter a word to the referees and when I do speak up it’s to encourage the kids as they whiz by on the field. I just love when parents scream “Get the ball”, “Run to the ball” etc. [Really? Can you hear yourself?]
If I happen to be going to my car an see a referee in the parking lot I’ll shout out a “Thanks ref.”
I think that will go a long way in making his day seem a little more meaningful. I catch him right away as I’m not sure where he’ll be in twenty-four hours!
I AM a referee and coaches who have taught their parents to just be supportive get better results from their players. Nothing worse than hearing seven or eight voices yelling “get the ball” , “kick it” , “go get it” these parents are all noise to the kids and are filtered out after the first 10 minutes of play. You all sound ridiculous from where I am (and your son or daughter).
Yup I yelled at the ref today after he didn’t call foul after foul after unsportsmanlike conduct on the field. Our kids left Wellesley with a concussion, knee to the face, elbows to the head, and a broken bone. Can’t Wellesley soccer afford to have linesmen or more than just a kid himself ref a game? Can’t Wellesley soccer…or is it MPS, stop teaching their kids how to play dirty soccer, or is winning all that matters? You want me to stop yelling? Try training the refs first and provide linesmen.