The lack of umpires is a major concern for the school hockey network, as daytime games have had to be canceled entirely for lack of a zebra skater.
“There is a challenge for certain sections that play more days during the week, but there is also a challenge at the weekend” because of the already lack of referees, Nuance Stéphane Auger, director of the hockey department of the Réseau du Quebec Student Sports, who alongside Colleges and universities also oversees 96 secondary schools.
Further meetings took place, but with two officials instead of three. A situation where striped jerseys cannot always perform to their full potential, especially in calibers where progressive checks are allowed.
“During the day we can count on the availability of pensioners, which helps,” continues Mr. Auger. There is a reorganization in terms of schedules. I also hear that several umpires are unavailable on Saturday night, which doesn’t make the task any easier.
Several whistlers will say it: refereeing school hockey games is often enjoyable. Without taking anything away from the volunteer parents of certain civilian hockey categories, a school’s affiliated coaches are often physical education teachers or professional instructors who have more knowledge and experience.
“If you’re in a hockey program in a school, it’s related to your behavior and your school results,” explains Mr. Auger. There is a special framework.”
Shaken in the district of Anjou
On a personal level, the former National League umpire has endured a fair amount of verbal abuse throughout his career. He was only bumped into once.
“A spectator tried to attack the referee in the hallway of an arena in Anjou, punched me through and I started sweating. […] Maybe I was hard-headed, I was passionate. I never thought of giving up, but friends left because they couldn’t take it.
Mr. Auger remembers that unlike athletes, referees have no training. You learn during the games.
“Just yesterday I saw a video of a parent yelling at a young referee who was wearing a green armband. [qui signifie qu’il est mineur dans d’autres provinces]. But what parent thinks a hockey game is so important that you can afford to behave like that?”
“You don’t have to turn the arena upside down”
“If a parent is concerned about their child’s physical safety on the ice and thinks it’s not safe, they always have the option to remove them from the game.” “You don’t have to turn the arena upside down,” stresses Mr. Auger.
The shortage of referees is no different from other labor shortages, according to the TVA Sports employee.
“When I go to a thoroughfare, I am patient. It’s not the cashier’s fault he’s short of staff. You need to recognize the context you are in. The young referee on the ice cannot deal with a problematic situation like a 40-year-old.”