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by Randy Gardner

  I know that there are two things that you would probably think I would write about this week. If I was boring and wanted to just give you all the information that you have already heard a million times then I would.

Those are the NCAA mens basketball Final Four and then the St. Louis baseball Cardinals getting ready to get things kicked off.

I am excited about both of those but like I said, you hear about them everyday in the mainstream media.

So here we go.

I know this topic is a no win situation but I have been on both sides of this fence. I think a lot of you will know exactly what I am talking about if you played sports, coached sports or just have a child that plays a sport. Yes, it is refereeing. Sometimes it is great but most of the time is just adequate. Who is to blame? I think there is enough to go around for everyone.

Ok, lets break this down into smaller portions and start handing out the particles of blame. Let’s start with the total disrespect of coaches, players and parents towards a referee or umpire. It starts immediately after one marginal call. Everyone is already judging the person. It is a slippery slope because I think, really a coach sets the mood.

   Once the players see the coach disrespecting the officials, then the kids think they can and then the parents jump in. The last person to be yelling at a referee should be a player, equally a parent. It is the coach’s job to be the buffer in a situation. I will agree that sometimes an official needs to be talked to but with respect. Most of the time it is either a kid who is just starting out or someone who is so old that they don’t exactly get themselves in the right position.

I was a referee for soccer for close to 20 years and all of my controversial decisions were made because I was out of position to make the call, honestly it was laziness not moving to the right spot on the field. I cannot tell you how many times I see a referee just go 10 yards on either side of midfield or an umpire never move down the line. There is no explanation for this. It is their fault.

   On the referee’s side, if you have one person covering the whole field it is hard to do but you are getting paid to referee, do your job and hustle. On the 3rd hand, you have to relax as coaches and parents and give the person a chance, they are only human. I know you want to win but come on. Relax.

I have given a fair share of referees a piece of my mind through the years as a coach but I will always thank them for their job after a game. It is called respect, you might not like what they did during the game but aren’t sports all about respect? Respect. Respect. Next time you are at a game, just tell an umpire or referee thanks for what they do, it will go a long way in usually, an unthankful line of work.

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