Teenage referee calls for national strike over verbal and physical 'abuse'

[Unregistered]

Beware snowflakes. Put enough together you get a blizzard or an avalanche. Might want to chose another pejorative. That one's been over-used to the point of meaninglessness.

the term snowflake is used because they are so fragile.

[Unregistered]

the term snowflake is used because they are so fragile.

It would seem that the ones who yell at abuse, or defend the abuse of referees (especially young ones) because they don't like a call during a youth soccer games are the fragile ones.

[Unregistered]

All of these poor soccer refs should have to spend a season in inner city leagues reffing basketball or football, with a 1000 fans surrounding them and getting walked to their car by security. Then they can come back to the suburbs and ref soccer and deal with a parent yelling that they missed the foul. Poor things.

[Unregistered]

A youth referee strike is going to change the way adults act? I think you are being too optimistic of human nature. If someone is an as*hole, they will continue to be an as*hole. No strike is going to change that overnight.

Referees already have tools at their disposal to control the crowd. Having a strike and pouting about it is useless.

It takes efforts from multiple sources. Clubs and coaches need to do their part by making sure parents (and coaches) that don't behave are called out on it. If refs going on strike can bring the issue to light and get a few adults to start paying attention to it, even altering their own behavior? That helps too.

[Unregistered]

It would seem that the ones who yell at abuse, or defend the abuse of referees (especially young ones) because they don't like a call during a youth soccer games are the fragile ones.

Good point. Calls not going your way, even obviously bad calls, are part of sports. If you don't like it, don't play.

[Unregistered]

All of these poor soccer refs should have to spend a season in inner city leagues reffing basketball or football, with a 1000 fans surrounding them and getting walked to their car by security. Then they can come back to the suburbs and ref soccer and deal with a parent yelling that they missed the foul. Poor things.

Those are adult refs. This is about teenagers being bullied by adults. Big difference.

[Unregistered]

It takes efforts from multiple sources. Clubs and coaches need to do their part by making sure parents (and coaches) that don't behave are called out on it. If refs going on strike can bring the issue to light and get a few adults to start paying attention to it, even altering their own behavior? That helps too.

So if this young referee doesn't like something, he should just strike? You are teaching him a very poor lesson in life. When he gets to college and doesn't like the professor's attitude, shall he strike? What about his future employer, strike? The cashier at Publix was rude, strike. The electric company charged me too much, strike. Mortgage is too high, strike.

Another bleeding heart liberal with an agenda for issues. Let's have a sitdown meeting and talk about it. Get him a trophy and call him a "hero." Next you will call for a government takeover of referee standards. Initiate an anti-bulling campaign. We can get stickers and t-shirts. Organize a music event to raise that awareness. I guess anything to get out of actually working. I hope you have a roundtrip ticket back from Fantasyland.

[Unregistered]

Those are adult refs. This is about teenagers being bullied by adults. Big difference.

The article is about an 18 year old male with a child. The only 'teen' is in the number. That is an adult by any definition.

[Unregistered]

The article is about an 18 year old male with a child. The only 'teen' is in the number. That is an adult by any definition.

It also sates he's been doing it since he was 14 and has been abused all that time. We're not talking about 40 year old overweight basketball has beens huffing up and down the court on weekends.

Regardless - are you saying you condone refs of any age being abused for doing their jobs? You're part of the problem if you do. Not all refs are great but so what. Mistakes and bad calls are part of the game.

[Unregistered]

So if this young referee doesn't like something, he should just strike? You are teaching him a very poor lesson in life. When he gets to college and doesn't like the professor's attitude, shall he strike? What about his future employer, strike? The cashier at Publix was rude, strike. The electric company charged me too much, strike. Mortgage is too high, strike.

Another bleeding heart liberal with an agenda for issues. Let's have a sitdown meeting and talk about it. Get him a trophy and call him a "hero." Next you will call for a government takeover of referee standards. Initiate an anti-bulling campaign. We can get stickers and t-shirts. Organize a music event to raise that awareness. I guess anything to get out of actually working. I hope you have a roundtrip ticket back from Fantasyland.

Kid has been doing it for three years. You try being screamed at in your job for three years and see how you like it.

[Unregistered]

Good for him. It's an issue that needs attention. Especially at the youth level there's no place for it.

My son had to stop being a ref or I would have killed a couple of parents for the way they talked to him.

[Unregistered]

My son had to stop being a ref or I would have killed a couple of parents for the way they talked to him.

Any parent who has a kid who refs understands the situation. I've got two as well but one will only ref ulittle kids because of a very bad situation once. My guess is the blowhard who thinks this pandering to weanies doesn't have kids who ref. He's too busy raising his own bullies.

[Unregistered]

It also sates he's been doing it since he was 14 and has been abused all that time. We're not talking about 40 year old overweight basketball has beens huffing up and down the court on weekends.

Regardless - are you saying you condone refs of any age being abused for doing their jobs? You're part of the problem if you do. Not all refs are great but so what. Mistakes and bad calls are part of the game.

What dream world do you live in? Every referee in every sport gets abused. It is known going into it. I don't condone and I don't do it, but it is there. If he has been putting up with it since 14, then he is an idiot. Either take control of the field or stop doing it. Absolutely no excuse to let yourself be abused and then expect someone else to fix it for you.

[Unregistered]

Any parent who has a kid who refs understands the situation. I've got two as well but one will only ref ulittle kids because of a very bad situation once. My guess is the blowhard who thinks this pandering to weanies doesn't have kids who ref. He's too busy raising his own bullies.

Ahh, another condescending soccer parent that thinks they know more than someone else. The only one that blows hard is your wife. She has great whistle skills. And say hi to my kids for me.

[Unregistered]

Kid has been doing it for three years. You try being screamed at in your job for three years and see how you like it.

Then the "kid" is a moron. Why stay in that environment if it is so bad? It's not the military. He is not obligated to be there. Don't like it? Move on.