Well I had my first indoor game of the spring season last night and we drew 8-8. Not bad for a team of "free agents" with 1 sub against a full side plus multiple subs. I didn't do as well as I would have liked but I chalk that up to first game rust and low endurance at the end of the game. I had 2 shots that were saved on a couple nice plays by the keeper, but I should have had a few more if my legs didn't want to give out.
Being my first competitive game in over 2 years, let me tell you, it's not as easy as I remember. I think I'm getting too old for this! Of course on the other hand, it could be we only had 1 sub so I was out on the field for 40 of the 50 minutes. I woke up real sore this morning that's for sure. I also ended up with a nice blister on my left foot from my new shoes, but hey it's all part of the fun!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Referees
Hello everyone. It has been a while since I've posted but now that spring has come and Mike and I are playing again, you can expect some more posts. So Let's start with this one, eh?
Both Mike and I have been soccer referees for quite a long time. Over 10 years of experience for me and likely close to 7 or 8 years for Mike. One thing we can both agree on this that referees just get no respect (cue Rodney Dangerfield). As noted in this article by Norman Hubbard, even professional referees get blamed for Premier League team failings. The disrespect that many managers at this level show referees is transferred to lower levels of soccer, all the way down to youth soccer here in America.
As I've said before coaches and players have a sense of entitlement that they cannot do wrong and that the other team always fouls them unfairly. Teams often believe the referee is out to make their team lose. I've personally heard these, "He doesn't know what he is doing out there" (once again, years of experience) or "He must be from the city/town of the other team" (at out of state tournaments). When you hear lines like that, it becomes hard to take real, constructive criticism which is what many referees need because let's face it, none of us are perfect and we learn from our mistakes.
We wonder why we don't have experienced referees in the ranks anymore here in America. Well you need to be mentally tough to be neutral, because you are going to get grief from all sides. So next time you watch or play, remember that the referee is human too and deserves your respect (even if he/she is honestly bad, there are some out there who are). I know I will.
Both Mike and I have been soccer referees for quite a long time. Over 10 years of experience for me and likely close to 7 or 8 years for Mike. One thing we can both agree on this that referees just get no respect (cue Rodney Dangerfield). As noted in this article by Norman Hubbard, even professional referees get blamed for Premier League team failings. The disrespect that many managers at this level show referees is transferred to lower levels of soccer, all the way down to youth soccer here in America.
As I've said before coaches and players have a sense of entitlement that they cannot do wrong and that the other team always fouls them unfairly. Teams often believe the referee is out to make their team lose. I've personally heard these, "He doesn't know what he is doing out there" (once again, years of experience) or "He must be from the city/town of the other team" (at out of state tournaments). When you hear lines like that, it becomes hard to take real, constructive criticism which is what many referees need because let's face it, none of us are perfect and we learn from our mistakes.
We wonder why we don't have experienced referees in the ranks anymore here in America. Well you need to be mentally tough to be neutral, because you are going to get grief from all sides. So next time you watch or play, remember that the referee is human too and deserves your respect (even if he/she is honestly bad, there are some out there who are). I know I will.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)