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PHOTOS BY Images On Ice; USA Hockey Magazine Archives k Every season USA Hockey experiences a 30 percent turnover of all registered officials, and 50 percent of first-year officials do not return for their second season. It's a disturbing trend that has created a void of experienced officials as only one third of all officials have five or more years of experience. One of the primary reasons officials cite for leaving the game are abuse by players, parents and coaches. Another is a lack of opportunities to work games due to the "good old boys network" in which local assigners favor their friends over up-and-coming officials. This is not only an officiating program issue, and it's not exclusive to hockey. It's an issue that needs the support of everyone involved in the game, from players and parents to coaches and administrators. A lack of qualified officials has a direct impact on the number of games being played around the country. That was the message the Officiating Education Program personnel delivered to attendees at the recent USA Hockey Winter Meetings in Florida. According to Matt Leaf, director of USA Hockey's Officiating Education Program, a campaign is in the works and will be launched this spring and summer at the affiliate, district and national levels to improve the environment in which the game is played and officiated. It will focus on the retention of officials by creating a more equitable system of assigning games while also improving the atmosphere inside rinks when it comes to the treatment of officials by players, parents and coaches. "USA Hockey has been always been a leader in trying to create the best possible environment for all involved in the sport," Leaf said. "The efforts to curb abuse of officials will include everyone involved in the game and are critical to the betterment of our sport." OFFICIATING The U.S. returned to the podium at the Winter Youth Olympic Games with a silver-medal performance in Lausanne, Switzerland. The Americans were looking for their second straight gold medal in the event but fell to Russia, 4-0, in the final game and ended the tournament with a 3-0-0-1 record. "I'm tremendously proud of this group of players and what they accomplished," said head coach Scott Paluch, who led the squad to gold four years ago in Lillehammer, Norway. "They fought very hard, we just got behind early and could never really get established. I'm very proud of their effort and their representation of USA Hockey and Team USA." The U.S. opened the tourna- ment with a 7-5 victory against Finland and followed it with an 8-2 win against host country Switzerland to advance to the semifinals where they fought off a stiff challenge from their rivals from Canada. Isaac Howard led the U.S. with seven goals in the tourna- ment, and Frank Nazar added five points. The experiences the U.S. players gained during their two weeks at the Youth Olympic Games along with the silver medal they earned will have a lasting ef fect. "It's obviously not the result we wanted," said forward Cruz Lucius. "But we played hard together and I'm glad we were able to at least earn silver for the USA." USA Hockey Sets Sight On Officials Flight INTERNATIONAL U.S. FINDS SILVER LINING AT YOUTH OLYMPICS MARCH 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 9