Following the high school state soccer tournament last week, the Iowa High School Athletic Association is sounding off on the treatment of referees by fans, coaches and athletes.”I don’t know if it’s something that’s gotten any worse for the most part, but I mean certainly it’s something that we have seen for the last handful of years,” said IHSAA Assistant Director Todd Tharp.Spectators say officials were harassed while making calls for the game, something the IHSAA says needs to come to an end.”We want you to cheer loud and to be proud, but do it in a positive way for your own team,” Tharp said.And it’s not just soccer games these referees are having trouble at. Tharp says it’s happening at baseball, football and basketball games. It’s getting so bad it’s impacting their efforts to recruit officials.”I’m getting off work to go work a game at 4 o’clock or 5 o’clock and I’m being belittled, I’m being cursed, I’m being yelled at throughout,” Tharp said.This treatment could jeopardize the future of many high school sports programs. Tharp says these instances could have bad repercussions for Iowa’s kids.”If we don’t have baseball umpires, we don’t have soccer officials, we don’t have basketball officials, then these kids that have these four years here in high school aren’t going to have an opportunity to do what they’re so gifted and talented at doing,” Tharp said. Tharp says the IHSAA educates all of their referees to the best of their ability before they officiate a sport.Incidents of harassment and assault are investigated on a case by case basis, the responsibility of which could fall on a district or law enforcement agency.Other headlines:
Following the high school state soccer tournament last week, the Iowa High School Athletic Association is sounding off on the treatment of referees by fans, coaches and athletes.
“I don’t know if it’s something that’s gotten any worse for the most part, but I mean certainly it’s something that we have seen for the last handful of years,” said IHSAA Assistant Director Todd Tharp.
Spectators say officials were harassed while making calls for the game, something the IHSAA says needs to come to an end.
“We want you to cheer loud and to be proud, but do it in a positive way for your own team,” Tharp said.
And it’s not just soccer games these referees are having trouble at.
Tharp says it’s happening at baseball, football and basketball games.
It’s getting so bad it’s impacting their efforts to recruit officials.
“I’m getting off work to go work a game at 4 o’clock or 5 o’clock and I’m being belittled, I’m being cursed, I’m being yelled at throughout,” Tharp said.
This treatment could jeopardize the future of many high school sports programs. Tharp says these instances could have bad repercussions for Iowa’s kids.
“If we don’t have baseball umpires, we don’t have soccer officials, we don’t have basketball officials, then these kids that have these four years here in high school aren’t going to have an opportunity to do what they ‘re so gifted and talented at doing,’ Tharp said.
Tharp says the IHSAA educates all of their referees to the best of their ability before they officiate a sport.
Incidents of harassment and assault are investigated on a case by case basis, the responsibility of which could fall on a district or law enforcement agency.
Other headlines:
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