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"I'm asking you to do your part to help save our game and the future of it," Collins i m p l o r e d t h e c r ow d . " I 'm a s k i n g y o u t o take this message back to your local associ- ations and convince your leagues to reach o u t t o c o a c h e s a n d p a r e n t s a n d t o h o l d them accountable." Over the course of his illustrious career, Collins was a pioneer in the develop- ment of officiating education. He helped create the first officiating school in the U.S., along with sum- mer development camps, and its officiating manual series, both of which remain core components o f U S A Ho c ke y 's O f fi c i a t i n g Development Program. In addition to his time with USA Hockey, Collins worked more than 2,000 NHL games as a linesman, and his 296 games in the Stanley Cup playoffs are the most by an American official. Even after years removed from the game, Collins keeps a close eye on what's going on in the sport, and what he sees has caused him considerable distress. He said that most local officiating pro- grams help young officials navigate the ever-increasing negativity being directed at them from the bench. It's when they leave the ice that there have been a growing number of confrontations with irate parents that are driving many into thinking that officiating is not worth the aggravation. " We all have heard stories of officials being confronted by irate parents as they leave the ice after a game, whether it's a game at 6 o'clock in the morning or 6 at night," Collins said. "You need to be there for them. You need to take care of these young officials." Collins cited situations where local tourna- ments around the country have had to scale back on the number of games they can hold for lack of qualified officials. This is not just a hockey problem but something that is plagu- ing so many youth sports. Dennis LaRue has seen that firsthand. After retiring as an NHL referee in 2016, LaRue became the president of the Spokane American Youth Hockey Association. Youth hockey organizations all across the country spend a lot of time recruiting and training young referees. And when they leave the game due to the verbal abuse heaped upon them, it starts the cycle all over again. " When we recruit kids and we get them involved, that's a win for everybody," LaRue said. "But when we lose them because they're sick and tired of being yelled at or berated, that's a loss for everybody because we have to start off with a new recruit who has to go through the same learning curve as a young- ster who already has a year or two under his or her belt. We already have time and energy invested in that person and when they walk away you have to start all over again." 40 // SEPTEMBER 2019 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOS BY USA Hockey Magazine Archives; Getty Images "I'm asking you to take this message back to your local associations and convince your leagues to reach out to coaches and parents and to hold them accountable." OFFICIATING SYMPOSIUM —Kevin Collins