Teaching kids about when refs cost you a game

Gee, were you at the same tournament my son's team played in?!?! Know you weren't.

A tie or win was needed to advance to finals. Down in first period 2-0. Penalties were in opponents favor (7-1) Team fought back to 2-1. In third period, 2 goals disallowed. One on offsides called after the goal was scored on a scrum in front of the net. Second on goalie interference. Our player was pushed into the crease & goalie by one of their players. The kid that was called on the penalty was at the hashmarks too.

(Opponents coaches & parents admitted at least one of those goals should have counted.)

Final score: 2-1

2 hour drive to discuss the role of playing hard and trying your best. Ref's are human and try to call the game as they see it...

(Same rink, another team from our association lost in the semifinals on similar types of questionable calls. Conspiracy???)

We were at home, so I can't make a homer call.

But, I think refs just like this other team. I think it was this team that had a 20 foot offsides missed on one of their goals and a bad intentional offsides call on us lead to a goal off the faceoff in a 1 goal loss earlier in the season.

Some teams have all the luck.

:)

Hear 'ya there... We have yet to get any homer calls! One of the goals against was a deflection while the screener/deflector was in the crease.

It will be interesting to see outcome from another team's game next weekend. The Chiefs Squirt A team is playing at the same rink. They were the team "hosed" last time. Now us. Hmmm...

Respectfully I'd like to offer a different perspective - the refs often have a somewhat thankless job and officiating really is a labor of love. Many refs are youth players trying to get some additional experience on the side or older folks who want to help others an opportunity to enjoy our great game, (Or even novice players trying to get some skating experience, hehe), so try not to be too hard on them. They may not be part of our teams, but they are a part of our hockey family, so I try to give 'em the benefit of the doubt. :)

Yeah and some parents can be pretty damn ruthless, Myself included...but i try to distant myself from them for the whole game going back and forth with each period to stay by the goal my son is playing in ..in order to keep the lil bad habits from coming in to his game at each stoppage of play ...GLOVE UP BOY

Stay out of the blue! Stick down! Come out and challenge!
MOM! MOOOOM! Shut up!!!

As for the refs, this forum provides a place to rant and vent. I will thank a ref for a good game, win or lose, when they call a good game. I routinely ask refs to explain the reason for a call or non-call involving play around the goal.

I have umpired for softball = totally thankless job. I too try to give refs the benefit of the doubt. They are indeed human and are trying to call things fairly and as they see 'em.

Still how do you try to let your kid know that when it is blatantly obvious they blew the calls and it cost the team a championship or chance for the finals? Plus sometimes it is just nice to ***** about it when kids are out of earshot.

Tell ya the hardest ref that we had getting 6-1 penalty calls ratio against our team was in fact THE PRESIDENT of our youth hockey program

Originally Posted by Victor Sussman

Respectfully I'd like to offer a different perspective - the refs often have a somewhat thankless job and officiating really is a labor of love. Many refs are youth players trying to get some additional experience on the side or older folks who want to help others an opportunity to enjoy our great game, (Or even novice players trying to get some skating experience, hehe), so try not to be too hard on them. They may not be part of our teams, but they are a part of our hockey family, so I try to give 'em the benefit of the doubt. :)

I agree.

This was about trying to send the right message to our kids who were in the locker room afterward saying that the refs were blind.

My message was that refs are human and humans make mistakes. Our team made mistakes. The other team made mistakes. And the refs made mistakes.

What they need to do as players is play well enough that the refs, no matter how bad a day they have, affect the outcome. If that means having to score 4 or 5 goals to win 3-2, then so be it.