Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1424765
R I N K RAT BEH I N D T HE G L A SS ILLUSTRATION BY Darren Gygi "You know what the happiest animal in the world is? It's a goldfish. It's got a 10 second memory." While the world may have fallen in love with fish-out- of-water football coach Ted Lasso over the past year, it's a lot easier to smile or chuckle at his maxims than to actually live them. Especially in the stands at a youth hockey rink when a particular call goes against our little ones it can seem easier to hurl insults at refs than follow the path of Coach Lasso's goldfish. So it should be no surprise that referees are hanging up their whistles in growing numbers, which is having a devastating effect on all youth sports. "Bad behavior from parents is one of the toughest issues for officials to deal with," says Chris Pimentel, president of the Northwest Stripes Group. "Most parents unfortunately have very little knowl- edge of the rules or the application of the rules based on the level of hockey they are involved with." So the next time you feel the need to yell about a call, perhaps it would be better to get in the fishbowl and see things through the eyes of an official. Here are a few more thoughts from the pen of Pimental: Creating A Better Environment USA Hockey has zero tolerance for the abuse of officials and even with these standards in place, very few officials use this rule. In my opinion, hockey organi- zations need to educate both the parents and coaches of any new rule changes and have an understanding that verbal abuse will not be tolerated. Dial Down The Diatribes I started officiating later in life, so bringing life experi- ence into this role was a big help to me. The game is full of emotions, and I can see how difficult the job of an official can be, especially for younger officials. I was supervising a 10U game with a new official working his first game. The official had an experienced partner on the ice to monitor and manage the game. The new official was overwhelmed with the amount of screaming from parents and left in the middle of the second period. When this 13-year official was confronted by an angry parent off ice, I had to notify local law enforcement and had the parent removed from the arena. Setting The Wrong Example The off-ice actions by parents or spectators only make things worse. The verbal attacks cause a chain reaction that spills over onto the ice. Players can hear the abuse. If parents can abuse officials with no reprisal, players feel they can get away with it as well. The Right Recourse I rarely speak to anyone after a game. But if a parent wants to engage in a conversation, they need to have a calm demeanor. The few parents I have had conversa- tions with just need a simple answer. Parents should attend a brief officiating seminar before the season starts. This may help t h e m h a v e a b e t t e r u n d e r - standing of the game. R e m e m b e r, U S A H o c k e y officials love the game as much as players and parents do, and t h e y a r e t h e f i r s t t o a d m i t they 're not perfect. So if we all can have a bit more under- standing, maybe we can find a little goldfish in all of us. P COACH OF THE MONTH THE HOCKEY MOM By Christie Casciano Burns JEREMI TWEED Age 45 Bottineau, N.D. When Jeremi Tweed moved from Medora, Manitoba to Bottineau, N.D., a number of years ago, one thing he brought with him was his passion for hockey. These days he is sharing that love of the game with the youth hockey players, including his twin daughters, who play on a 10 & Under team. Tweed caught the coach- ing bug many years ago when he worked as a stick boy on his father's AAA teams. After playing the game through junior hockey, Tweed turned his attention to coaching, with both a local junior college team and then at the grassroots level. "I like the grassroots because they're eager and you can see them grow from practice to practice," he said. "At the same time, I like the intensity and skill at the higher levels." Between his twin girls and his two older daugh- ters, who are figure skat- ers, Tweed and his wife are in the rink seven days a week, which is just fine with him. "I just love the game. It's greatest game in the world," he said. "I love teaching and watching kids grow and get better. Knowing that you're mak- ing a difference in their hockey lives and their day to day lives as well." Following The Path Of A Goldfish May Keep Our Game Afloat Parents might be well served to attend an officiating seminar before the season to catch up on any new rule changes. 20 // NOV/DEC 2021 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM