St. Louis Sports Commission Launches Initiative to Promote Respect Toward Referees
Messaged to be displayed at soccer facilities and online
Posted On: August 24, 2022 By :The St. Louis Sports Commission has launched a new initiative designed to reverse trends of referee abuse that have led to a severe shortage of referees in youth sports.
The program, called ‘Let ’em Play,’ is aimed at reminding youth sports parents, coaches, fans and players that referees are to be respected and unsportsmanlike behavior toward officials is unacceptable. The program is underway at soccer venues throughout the St. Louis region with messages on banners at soccer venues, combined with an online presence and social media engagement to show support for referees.
“Having been a soccer parent, coach, and volunteer youth club administrator for over 20 years, the challenges of the game atmosphere for soccer referees have escalated to the point where we simply don’t have enough referees for kids to play,” said St. Louis Sports Commission Vice President Chris Roseman. “The Let ‘em Play program will have a positive impact on civility at the games with the intention of keeping referees on the field and improving the game experience for all.”
Messaging will be in place at Belle Clair Soccer Park in Belleville, Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex, Creve Coeur Park Soccer Complex, Lou Fusz Athletic Soccer Complex in Maryland Heights, Missouri Rush Soccer Park in O’Fallon, O’Fallon Family Sports Park, Sportport International in Maryland Heights, the SLYSA Complex in St. Charles, Vetta Sports and the World Wide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton. As the campaign takes root in St. Louis area soccer venues and organizations, plans are in progress to expand the message to other youth sports organizations.
According to a study by the National Federation of Sports Officials, 80 percent of new referees quit within two years due to rude or abusive parents and coaches. Of the 17,000 referees surveyed in the study, 75 percent cited rude or abusive behavior from parents and coaches as the reason they quit officiating. The referee shortage is so severe that games and tournaments have been limited or canceled due to a lack of referees to officiate games.
“Let ‘em Play is a program to restore what has been lost, and what’s been lost is respect for officials,” said Solomon Alexander, director of the St. Louis Sports Foundation, an affiliate of the St. Louis Sports Commission. “We want to restore that respect between referees who officiate the games and those who play and enjoy the games.”
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