In this era of shortages in goods, services and manpower, now comes word that some school districts and amateur sports leagues can’t find enough people to serve as game officials.
Last week, Tim Stried, director of communications for the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSSA) told USA Today that the problem is growing so acute that some games have been canceled in rural districts.
Though COVID-19 has been impactful, many in the trenches point to increased misbehavior by parents and fans as the chief reason why veterans are leaving and new people can’t be recruited.
Psychologists and sociologists theorize that social isolation caused by the pandemic has made us less civil.
It’s as good an excuse as any.
In reality, complaining about a referee’s call is a time-honored sports tradition. Wisecracks about the home plate umpire needing a seeing-eye dog have abounded since the Mighty Casey struck out.
This year, marks the 10th anniversary of “Bottlegate,” named so when referee Terry McAulay made an on-field call that caused the 6-6 Cleveland Browns to lose the game and any playoff hopes. It was met with a shower of beer bottles and trash that had players and referees running for their lives.
Was it a horrible display of poor sportsmanship? Yep.
Can you find a single, remorseful Browns fan even though it’s the reason overpriced light beer in the former Factory of Sadness is now served in plastic cups? Nope.
At the prep-school level, pushy sports parents have been showing up and showing out since the Junior Gladiator Games in Pompeii.
The only group of adults who may possibly compare are found in the Little Miss showoff/kiddie pageant subculture, where literally thousands of dollars can be spent on custom-made dresses, hair and makeup, and private coaching.
Today, a Little League umpire may not just be yelled at, but threatened, even physically attacked.
Everywhere children turn these days, they can find adults throwing fits that would leave a toddler aghast.
In a state where 20,000 people showing up for a high school football game is called “Friday night,” some coaches have practically been chewing off their own legs to escape the vitriol from demanding parents, pushy boosters, and administrators who are convinced their own jobs hinge on the football team’s playoff run.
Caught in the crossfire of all this are on-field officials who get blamed for everything else.
Some game officials’ on-field experiences sound like combat diaries.
It’s too much to ask of a retiree who took up officiating as a public service or a 19-year-old just starting out.
Two years ago, the OSHAA and the National Federation of State High School Associations issued a joint letter to parents and spectators, asking — begging — for fans to display more decorum in the stands.
That’s a lot to ask some parents who are certain their kid is the next Tom Brady or Giannis Antetokounmpo when in reality, he’s somewhere behind the water boy on the depth chart.
We all know that referees, umpires and line judges aren’t the only victims here. We love to talk about how sports are healthy and positive because it teaches kids self-discipline, leadership and responsibility to others.
So, what lesson do they glean when they see their dad going to DefCon 1 over a called third strike?
How can we finger-wag and lecture children that “life isn’t fair,” then go ballistic on the volleyball court when it turns out that we were right?
The student-athletes who will be the most hurt are those in the minor sports, such as swimming, lacrosse and track. Division 1 football and basketball in Ohio will have officiating even if they have to raise someone from the dead.
Perhaps if a few championships were canceled due to the ump shortage, maybe then we adults will finally behave ourselves.
Charita M. Goshay is a Canton Repository staff writer and a member of the editorial Board. Reach her at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @cgoshayREP
