#NoRefNoGame ?
#NOREFNOGAME
Sport Manitoba launched the #NoRefNoGame social media campaign to raise awareness of the poor treatment of sports officials. Officials play an essential role in every sport, and increasing incidents of poor treatment are driving participation rates down at an alarming rate.
At Ringette Canada, we don't think we should treat officials well just because there would be no game without them. We should treat them well because they're people and an essential part of our Ringette community.
There would be no game without players or coaches, either. (Or even Arena attendants!) Officials bring so much more to the game.
"Officials don't make the game. They make the game better."
Officials facilitate a game environment where it is possible to have meaningful fun full of challenge and excitement, knowing that the game will be fair and safe (to the extent that any physical sport can be safe).
Officials teach the rules and help players and coaches through the games. Countless officials wear many hats, often contributing off-ice as board members or coaching staff.
Officials commit hours of their time to development every season. Every year, On-ice officials are expected to complete training seminars to stay current on the rules and upgrade their skills. And every On-ice official is expected to be evaluated at least once per season.
What to Expect
Officials have hundreds of things to watch and think about every second of a Ringette game. Who has the ring? Where is the ring going to go? Should I move? Did that stick go there on purpose?
No official, be they a Time & Score Keeping, Shot Clock, or On-ice Official, starts their career knowing all the rules or being capable of everything expected of a fully-formed official. It takes time and practice (10,000 hours, anyone?) to reach their full potential.
When officials stay in their roles and get that practice, they will fulfill their potential. Healthy officiating programs are built on the officials who see it through.
"You should expect the officials assigned to any game to be at least as good at officiating as the players are at playing the game."
Three years on: only 20%
Your association brought on new officials this season. They are a vital part of keeping our sport alive. Many of them will be young adults aged 16 - 20 years old. A part of your registration fees fund their training and support their development. Studies show that three years from now, only 20% of them will still be officials.
How we treat officials as players, coaches, and fans directly correlates to this attrition of 80% of new hires over three seasons.
Together, we can get over this hump and improve our retention!
A Calling, But Not a Job
Officiating is a calling. Those of us who officiate are dedicated to the responsibility and addicted to the many challenges that the roles present. On-ice Officials are among the most athletic of the participants on the ice, with extreme focus and a tough mental game.
In most cases, officials are recognized for the work they do for the sport with compensation. But in all provinces, they would be considered independent contractors, not employees. No Ringette official makes a living from officiating, and those who think it's a good "part-time" job for young people should think again. In many cases, new officials won't earn enough in their first year to cover the cost of their training and equipment.
Good officials possess:
- Game Knowledge
- Strategic Skills
- Decision-Making Skills
- Integrity
- Self-Efficacy & Confidence
- Communication Skills
- Physical Fitness & Conditioning