Many of the officials on the sub-varsity level are new to officiating, just as many of our sub-varsity coaches are new to coaching on the high school level. Each year there is an increased concern of retaining the new officials who become frustrated by the verbal abuse from coaches and parents. More and more of these officials are walking away from officiating before they have the opportunity to improve with experience. As a result, we are seeing a shortage of officials unlike ever before.
The FCIAC will be stressing to our sub-varsity coaches the importance of not getting caught up in how they perceive a call which was made or not made, but continue to focus on their team. Certainly when the safety of players becomes an issue, a time out and private conversation with the official is justified.
We are also stressing that our schools pass on this same message to the parents and fans of our sub-varsity teams, which will hopefully lead to a calmer environment for all to learn. Athletics on the sub-varsity level should be about improvement as an individual and as a team, without the pressure of the outcome of the contest.
Thank you for your support.