Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

High school football referees want respect for their work
Mlive-AP ^ | Oct 15 | Susan Field

Posted on 10/15/2001, 8:19:24 PM by Dan from Michigan

High school football referees want respect for their work

By SUSAN FIELD
The Associated Press
10/15/01 2:11 PM

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) -- All Doug Mascho wants is a little respect.

Hearing the crowd jeer doesn't stop him from being a volunteer high school football referee, but sometimes, he and other volunteers would like to hear a cheer.

Listening to negatives from fans in the stands can be challenging, especially when fans don't know the rules, said Mascho, who is head of the Heart of Michigan Officials Association.

It's also sometimes frustrating to see the crowd become impatient when a game official does make a mistake.

"We have to be perfect all the time," Mascho said. "And then they don't notice."

Of Mascho's interesting football officiating stories, the most odd, he said, involved the mother of a football player who walked onto the field and refused to leave.

The woman, he said, was staging a protest because the opponent's coach was on the field, and her son's was not.

"When she came down, she was standing right in the coach's box," Mascho said. "It was bizarre."

It's sometimes a thankless job, with ribbing and heckling from football parents and spectators, but Mascho loves the job, despite the unspectacular pay. They travel all over central Michigan to act as high school football game officials throughout the season.

"You have to have a deaf ear," Mascho said. "You don't do it to get rich.

"You do it because you like sports and you like kids. And it's fun to be on the field."

Mascho, a corrections officer at the state prison in Carson City, jokes that his career and his hobby, refereeing, both consist of telling people they've done something wrong.

Mascho, who works with a crew from Stanton, Rosebush and Greenville, said officials spend Thursdays and Fridays away from home, and that the work is a big commitment

Getting paid an average of $50 for officiating a varsity game, and $35 to $40 for a junior varsity game, the job isn't about glamour. It's about making sure kids have fun on the field, Mascho said.

Mascho tells high school players before games begin that they must respect each other and the rules of the game. "It's a very violent game," Mascho said. "After a while, you get mad at each other.

"You try to keep a lid on it; keep the kids calmed down."

Prior to games, Mascho and his peers get together -- sometimes they drive to games together -- and discuss rules, past games and "go over any freaky play" to prepare for game time.

"We just talk everything over," he said. "We make sure we're on the same page."

For varsity football games, there are five officials, which Mascho said is not enough.

"You can't see everything," he said.

In their travels from Mount Pleasant to Leslie, Farwell, Beaverton, Harrison and as far as Grand Haven, Mascho and his peers spend a lot of time together during the football season.

"From about the beginning of August to the middle of November, we're together quite a bit," he said. "Off season, we stay in touch."

High school game officials also try to be more lenient with players than their counterparts are in the National Collegiate Athletic Association or those in professional sports, Mascho said.

"These kids aren't professional," he said. "Many of them won't go on to play in college.

And referees are there to find others who want to join the ranks of high school athletic officials -- others who also want to see the young athletes have a good time.

Recruiting can be difficult, Mascho said. He relies on friends, runs classified ads at times and runs promotions with the Michigan High School Athletic Association.


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041 next last
As a assistant coach, I agree. Refs aren't perfect, and we all love to rag on them at times, but without the refs, we don't have the games. And most of the time, the refs ARE right once we see them in films the next day.
1 posted on 10/15/2001, 8:19:24 PM by Dan from Michigan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Dan from Michigan; OneidaM; Pray4USA
Bump from a HS Ref...
2 posted on 10/15/2001, 8:23:12 PM by b4its2late
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dan from Michigan
Refs won't get respect until the selfish parents stop trying to run the show and learn to accept a call or loss gracefully. Some parents missed the end of the ME generation, and are passing this attitude on to their children.
3 posted on 10/15/2001, 8:24:23 PM by goodieD
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: goodieD
And the kids that play are caught in the middle of the whole thing. Half of the time, they are telling the parents to back off.
4 posted on 10/15/2001, 8:26:35 PM by Dan from Michigan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: b4its2late
I love you man!!!!!!!
5 posted on 10/15/2001, 8:26:43 PM by Neets
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Dan from Michigan
Sadly, these days a ref is ahead of the game if he doesn't get clobbered after the game! My friend's son might not have a B-ball season this year because they can't get enough guys to coach and officiate!
6 posted on 10/15/2001, 8:28:15 PM by Nitro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: OneidaM
You're not getting my Bud Light!!
7 posted on 10/15/2001, 8:29:22 PM by Nitro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Dan from Michigan
Prior to games, Mascho and his peers get together -- sometimes they drive to games together -- and discuss rules, past games and "go over any freaky play" to prepare for game time.

It's called a pregame and it is done one hour before the game since we take control of the game 1/2 hour before kickoff and until the end of the game. We go over free kicks, scrimmage kicks, running plays, passing plays, PAT kicks, goal line responsibility, and field goals inside the 15 or outside the 15. Every member of the crew has responsibility for certain parts of the field during every type of play.

8 posted on 10/15/2001, 8:29:35 PM by b4its2late
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: b4its2late
I think that High School Refs do a much better job than College Refs especially in the Big 12 where some of their calls are amazing. Just wait until you get an unsportsmanlike penalty called on your team 5 minutes before the game starts when two brothers from opposing teams met on the field and bumped each other's chest. Happened at a game I was at!

If any of you ever have Big 12 refs, please be prepared for a lot of yellow hankies and holding penalities -- that is their speciality!

High School Refs here in OK are pretty good and I hear very few complaints which makes me wish they were the Big 12 Refs!

9 posted on 10/15/2001, 8:30:07 PM by PhiKapMom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Dan from Michigan
Bump from a referee/umpire.

Best "I was there" story I remember is a HS player at the plate admitting that the noisy fan was his mom [and he wishing that she would just be quiet].

10 posted on 10/15/2001, 8:32:08 PM by Skybird
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dan from Michigan
High school football referees want respect for their work

In that case, I would recommend a different career.

11 posted on 10/15/2001, 8:36:36 PM by Sloth
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Nitro
I remember back when I played ball. In one game, the opposing COACH got 2 or maybe it was 3 personal fouls. I heard this "F-you Ref" from the bench of the other team.

I don't think he's coaching anymore. The team got clobbered as well, and we clinched the playoffs with that win.

Thanks Coach!

12 posted on 10/15/2001, 8:36:43 PM by Dan from Michigan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: PhiKapMom
I keep my flag in my back pocket. It's harder to get to....

I look at it this way. We have 10 rules in football. And if a rule is broken that gives a team an advantage, I'm going to throw it. But if I see a slight hold on the opposite side of the field, 15 yards from the ball, am I going to throw it? Probably not, because then, IMHO, I am interferring with the game. A police officer rarely gives anyone a ticket for driving 5 mph over the speed limit. Though the rules are black and white, there has to be some gray, or the official could get carried away...

13 posted on 10/15/2001, 8:37:05 PM by b4its2late
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Dan from Michigan
I refereed volleyball all the way from Jr. High School level clear up to the Pacific-10 Conference for many years up to about 5-6 years ago. I had a blast, even when the coaches got mad. Granted, I was extremely good at it, and the most fun part was the interaction with the players, coaches, fans and even parents. before, during and after the games. If you have the ability, the knowledge, and a sense of humor so can be a bit witty about it, everyone feels more comfortable with you as an official. It also helps a lot when just simply admit to a player or coach that you missed a call. Do that, and you are 80% of the way toward having their respect and confidence; as long as you actually know the game in the first place.
14 posted on 10/15/2001, 8:40:44 PM by connectthedots
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: b4its2late
Want to apply to the Big 12? They could sure use you!
15 posted on 10/15/2001, 8:43:21 PM by PhiKapMom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Dan from Michigan
Hearing the crowd jeer doesn't stop him from being a volunteer high school football referee...

Volunteer? I think this is confusing — later on in the article, the author states that they get paid. Does she mean that all sports officials that are not full-time are "volunteer"?

Getting paid an average of $50 for officiating a varsity game, and $35 to $40 for a junior varsity game...

I agree that it is almost volunteering!

Prior to games, Mascho and his peers get together -- sometimes they drive to games together...

This is a huge understatement. Most high school (and ALL college) officials have a huge comaraderie among their crew. Most drive to every game together and then go out for dinner (and usually "adult beverages") afterwards.

As a high school and college basketball official, I can tell you that there are moronic players, coaches, fans, and especially parents everywhere. The abuse that you can receive is unbelievable, but it does go with the territory.

16 posted on 10/15/2001, 8:45:22 PM by TexRef
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dan from Michigan
I went to Catholic High School (Class of '75) with Franciscan Brothers for coaches. If we got out of line we got clobbered!
17 posted on 10/15/2001, 8:47:22 PM by Nitro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: b4its2late
A police officer rarely gives anyone a ticket for driving 5 mph over the speed limit. Though the rules are black and white, there has to be some gray, or the official could get carried away...

Kinda like that episode of the Andy Griffith Show where Barney gets power hungry and starts enforcing every little rule in the book, only to have Gomer Pyle chasing him down in the street later on yelling "Citizen's Arrest!!! Citizen's Arrest!!!" for a similar irrelevant infraction.

18 posted on 10/15/2001, 9:14:51 PM by phillibuck
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: b4its2late
varsity fb bttt
19 posted on 10/15/2001, 9:18:31 PM by Principled
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Dan from Michigan
I reffed baseball, football, basketball, slow and fast pitch softball for 30 plus years. In all that time, I think little league parents were the worst. Leave them at home and let the kids come and play!

I understand where Dan is coming from. Thankfully a lot of my games were in the military, so you have some discipline from the players. The HS games were DODDS in Europe and I did HS sports in Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky during assignments here. Age and bad knees retired me. Keep calling them like you see em Dan.

20 posted on 10/15/2001, 9:18:40 PM by RetiredArmy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson