It's playoff time. A 15 year old ref calls me over after the first of three back to back games he will be officiating. He's a ref I trust, has a few years under his belt and is very level headed for his age. He says there is a parent that has been on his case all game long and can I talk to him before the team plays again. I look to the parent he has singled out. "Billy that can't be him, his kid doesn't even play on either team that just played, he's going on next". Just then to prove me wrong, the parent waves at us.
I made my way around the rink to have a talk with him. "Why are you harassing the ref when your kid isn't even playing?"
"He missed an offside." I then explained to him that he had better sit quietly and watch his son play because if he kept it up he would be leaving the arena. I still have no idea why he would care enough to harass a 15 year old.
Logic does not always apply when it comes to sports, many people (especially Canadian hockey fans) have another personality that emerges when they walk through the doors of the arena. Do your best to protect your officials from the parents.
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