This week marks the mid point in our 70th anniversary season, a season that should have been one of reflection on a great history as we looked ahead to the promise of a bright future continuing forward. Instead, this season we have had an unprecedented number of complaints about our volunteer coaches, scorer keepers, team assignments, referee integrity and competence, player conflicts, and parent conflicts, to name a few. Add to that issues with parents coaching from the seats, and seemingly never ending special requests, and you get our concern.
All of these have been dealt with by our volunteers, but all of those take their toll on them too.
Youth sports everywhere are plagued by referees and volunteer coaches quitting or not even getting involved because of abuse from adults at children’s games. Now, even with our program, officials are accused of bias, and calls as well as competence, are routinely challenged- some even by players in our Little Guys Division, and in the Graduate Division it has become pervasive every night. As someone that has been a basketball referee for more than a half century now, let me be perfectly clear. We do not care who wins, I never knew what the standings were, and I can guarantee I know the rules better than most involved with our program. With no referees we have no games.
Our volunteers are not “the other”. The people that can be blamed if something goes wrong. If a foul is called, it’s bias. If my child doesn’t score, the coach should have the scorer on the team give up the ball. Because of a failure, whether it be a missed shot, a turnover, a foul or your player scoring, someone else is not always to blame. There is a basketball adage that says “You miss 100 % of the shots you don’t take”. Within that same adage is the implication that you are not going to make 100% of those shots either. Take another shot. Failure on the court occasionally does not require a scapegoat, it requires perseverance.
Early in the season I wrote about the necessity of a partnership between the volunteers and the families to ensure a successful season for the players. I know that we are human and we will make mistakes, and I do not expect unwavering support from you either. I hope for perspective, respect for each other, respect for the game, and understanding about what we are trying to do in the league – give the children a safe and affordable place to learn how much fun the game can be, and maybe teach some life lessons along the way.
My concern going forward is that the increasing barrage of negativity will cause our experienced volunteers to wear down, and new volunteers – particularly referees – to not come in at all. The demise of organizations like ours, if it happens, will leave families with no real affordable option for youth sports. Then the options will only be high cost alternatives. Death by a thousand cuts.
