Young
teenager’s that referee hockey need someone to look up to, answer
questions and sometimes just, talk.
Why
is this? 33% of young officials pack it in after the first season.
In
Petawawa this season we have twelve new Level I officials. If we get six
back next season I’d be happy and shocked.
Hockey
in
Canada
, in my opinion is in serious
trouble. Across the country at any given time on an icy cold January
morning the same thing happens. Young referees get yelled at, told,
“You’re junk”, “You suck” and these are just mild. Many people
I’ve spoken too say that it’s not O.K. or “I never yell at the
ref’s” Where and when do they say that? When they are not at the rink
and there is no game taking place. They are normally the first people to
start yelling at a referee. But “Your a referee, your supposed to have
thick skin” yes over time we do, but not after refereeing one season
that for a teenager consists of about 20 games. In my opinion an ice rink
is the only place it is socially acceptable to yell at someone else’s
child, and get away with it.
With
the work of Paul Boese the Referee-in-Chief in Cobden he has made it
possible to hopefully lower the percentage of referees that quit due to
the Mentorship Program.
Paul
Boese is the Director of the Mentorship program for the Ottawa District
Hockey Association this season. As members of the ODHA Officiating staff
we could volunteer for the Mentorship Program. Basically this meant
working throughout the season with young hockey officials in our local
referee associations across the branch. Kelly Parent and myself thought it
would be a lot of fun and rewarding to take 4 youngsters each from
Petawawa.
Paul
had the idea of doing something special for the kids before the end of the
season and hopefully gets most of them to be excited and come back next
season.
So
in Cobden on
Sunday March 16 2003
, 11 young referees from Petawawa
and Cobden were able to spend a few hours with NHL Linesman Derek Nansen
and CJHL Referee Adam Brown. Since Derek Nansen was a former ODHA official
and has officiated many games with Paul and Adam he was willing to come
and help out with the program. It was unfortunate that only five of the
twelve new Level I’s from Petawawa were able to attend this exciting
event. In attendance from the Greater Petawawa Referee Association were
Aaron Aubertin, Michael David, Cory Morash, Owen Hutton and Curtis Smith.
The Cobden official’s were Jonathon Ross, Courtney Trombley, Andrea
Burwell, Derek Sigsworth, Thomas Boese and Shawn Tanguay.
The
kids had a lot of fun on the ice while Derek, Adam and Paul put the
officials through some drills and relay races. Afterwards, off the ice we
got some pizza and the kids had the chance to ask Derek some questions and
find out what it is like to be a Linesman in the NHL. Derek officiates on
average three games a week and says it is a very exciting career. Derek
started officiating at the age of 11in the
Ottawa
area. Before receiving his
contract with the NHL, Derek was a linesman in the CJHL, OHL, AHL. He has
also had the honor to be a linesman at World Championships and officiate
at the last Olympics.
Derek, Adam and Paul all work very hard on and
off the ice for the love of the game and to pass along some tips and
experiences to younger officials. Thanks guys
If you’re ever watching a NHL game and see a
linesman with the #70 on his back that would be Derek.
Relax it’s just a game. The NHL draft does not
start at Novice House League.
The above comments are that of the writer and
not that of any association.
