By Christopher Shaban
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CLAREMONT — Now that the fan restrictions have been relaxed, the crowds are back and its great to see games with spectators. Getting to be able to know a few officials and be on the sidelines for so many games has opened my eyes to what they do and what goes on from the far side of the field with the crowds.
Let me begin by saying that there is a significant need for officials in both New Hampshire and Vermont as age and the lack of new people joining the officiating ranks is troubling. I will not mention any names but these dedicated folks are invaluable to us and I used a few chats I had for this piece.
Being able to see so many games it gives a different perspective to me than when I was a parent watching my kids play.
First of all, nobody does this just for the money. The pay per game might be nice but the travel, continuing education, meeting time, clinics, and time away from family should all be factored in.
“Thankfully my family supports me 100 percent to be able to do something I love,” said one referee as many work full time jobs as well. “But it does take time to do this.”
The interaction between players, coaches, and fans sometimes can be as exciting as the action between the lines. There are always players who are chatting away during the game for a call or just is talkative with the officials and more often that not that official is great with it. There are many wonderful moments at games like this fella in Newport. This gentleman, who goes to many games and all he does is start a “Go Newport” chant with his very distinctive voice every once in a while and just sits there and is the most positive fan you’ll meet. Over in Claremont there was a game this fall where a bunch of Stevens students brought couches to be a bit more comfortable when watching their classmates play at Monadnock Park. It never gets old to see a practice end on one field then see the whole team wonder over to the game in progress and cheer on the field hockey team like the Bellows Falls girls soccer team did last fall.
On the other end are the folks who really take supporting a team to the extreme. From a referees perspective, they are there to control the game and try their best to make sure the players and coaches are respectful to one another and play within the rules but there is so much more to it than that. The fans play a large role in how a game goes more than one would think especially if there is a large crowd at a big rivalry. Believe it or not, the sound generated from fans across the field is louder than you think and the kids feed off of it and it adds tremendously to the energy and excitement to the game.
I firmly believe that officials are doing their absolute best at every game but do they miss calls, of course. Do coaches over react at times, of course. Do players get caught up in the emotions of a game, you bet they do.
“We really have to be thick skinned,” said one seasoned referee. “Sometimes the games are very intense but our job is on the field and not in the stands.”
There are games where the crowd is making every call and that of course feeds into the game on the field, the kids feel it and the coaches may also. There are times when it gets downright vicious and some in the crowd should have taken the officials courses because they all knew better than what the person on the sidelines did. When I helped coach youth soccer, I would buy a box of whistles before the season and would walk the sidelines before games asking if anyone would like to volunteer and take a whistle to referee a game, there were usually no takers but there was never a complaint about the officiating. There is no doubt that there are times when a referee is over their heads for a game and mistakes are made but for the most part, things run pretty well considering the shortage of people who want to do this.
“There are times when I do back-to-back basketball games because of the shortage,” said a friend of mine recently. “It’s something that I really enjoy but we need more people in the ranks.”
In closing the next time there is a game and things become a little heated on the sidelines, I would encourage all the Athletic directors to hand out applications for referee school or maybe keep a box of whistles handy. Try and give the official a break once in a while and hope that there is enough of them left to make the games possible.
If anyone is interested in becoming an official, here is the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association contact list.
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