hockeyisgreat

Obviously they are all not perfect! But the way it's going you are not going to have anyone to Ref. So pay 200.00 a game and get the best of the best. Oh wait that would make it to expensive to play! So what's your answer?

Associated Press Article about Officials: Youth sports referees are quitting in droves due to a toxic combination of abuse from coaches and parents, low salaries, and COVID-19 Heather Schlitz Aug 15, 2021, 7:17 AM Referees are leaving youth sports in droves. Kurt Voigt/Associated Press The pandemic, low pay, and abuse has triggered an exodus of referees from youth sports. The loss of hundreds of referees each season could lead to game cancellations and delays. Inexperienced referees charged with officiating fast-paced games could endanger players. From a brawl breaking out at a youth baseball game to a furious coach screaming at and shoving an umpire, youth sports officials have had to deal with chaos on and off the field, on top of low pay for years. But combined with the pandemic, referees are leaving youth sports at such a quick pace that it could lead to a disastrous shortage of officials this coming fall. "There were so many referees quitting at an alarming rate before corona. With corona on top of it all, it's an epidemic of referee shortages," Brian Barlow, a soccer referee for 14 years and creator of Offside, a Facebook page that shames unruly parents, spectators, and coaches at games and advocates for respectful treatment of referees. Seventy percent of referees quit within three years of starting, according to The New York Times, and 57% of referees surveyed thought sportsmanship was getting worse, with respondents saying that parents, coaches, and fans set off the biggest problems. "A lot of referees in their first year quit because the parents, the coaches and the players are so hateful and say such awful things. They don't want the 40 bucks they're paid. If there's that much mental abuse, they don't want it. They're leaving." Barlow said. Referee numbers in soccer have dropped continuously for years, with Illinois losing 11% of high school referees in the 2018-2019 soccer season even as the number of young soccer players increases. Peter Makeover, the CEO of Payball, an app for paying officials, coaches and event staff, said referees rarely earn a living from officiating, and most become officials to to earn extra money and stay connected to the game they love. "But when they don't get that sense of connection, it simply isn't worth their time," he said. The pandemic has also pushed a growing number referees out, with officials leaving out of fear of getting sick and others quitting over disagreements about masking requirements. The pandemic halted games in some sports for months, which sparked other referees to realize that the industry wasn't for them, Barlow said. "A lot of them use it [the pandemic] as an excuse to not referee anymore. They're already getting burnt out. Then you realize 'it's nice not having people yell at me, judging me, and threatening me.'" Barlow said the drop in referees is already having a negative effect, as games are getting cancelled and fewer referees officiate each game. A decline in the number of referees could be especially damaging in contact sports like football, where the shortage has already resulted in inexperienced officials being promoted to work fast-paced varsity-level games, where a green official might struggle to signal penalties that could cause injuries for players, the Chicago Tribune reported. "You have to get those fouls," Laurie Jordan of the Inter-Athletic Council of Officials, told the Chicago Tribune. "We don't want any players hurt or knocked out of the game. We don't want the possibility of concussions. When the game moves that much faster, the officials have to move that much faster, and it becomes very difficult." Sports organizations and administrators have to hold coaches and parents accountable for their behavior and pay referees more if they want to have enough people to officiate their games, Makeover said. But despite the looming fall season, there hasn't been a systematic effort to pay referees better or reduce the amount of physical and verbal abuse officials are subjected to, beyond isolated efforts in certain club teams or school districts. "We've made it OK to treat officials who do a hard job like shit," Barlow said

Anybody play or practice at Hunt? How is it going? What's the parking like? Will the new Pens ownership keep it going? Why no High School games out there yet?

All good questions? Is no news good or bad? Is it all forgotten except for your questions? I would think we would hear of any other incidents occurring!

So you would be Happy if PA Hockey didn't bother at all with rankings?

Wow, you summed up how I feel in 12 words exactly!!!! Someone or some thing made him a bitter man!

Especially when they have less time now to work on those skills. Power plays are a joke with the shortened penalties!

At least Mr Rankings puts something out there. I admire and respect every team that plays. They are putting the best players they can out there on the ice. Would you rather have someone decide who the best teams will be at the beginning of the year and only let them field a team? I just really don't understand your thinking! And the point of those rankings is to give you and I something to talk about! And promote Hockey in Western Pa. Doesn't the Tribe pick up on them and post them? Aren't we getting some press and exposure from it?

Thanks for doing the rankings and putting them out there for debate. I can't believe that people on this board try to personally attack you about the rankings. If they don't like them maybe they should put their own out there and how they would rank them. And then Danner goes as far as to disparage the whole AA Division. I guess they aren't as good as when his kid was playing. That's back when there must have been real competition!! Seems to me that Danner thinks Hockey in Western Pa is in this big downward spiral !

"Visitation and funeral details have not yet been determined. A scholarship in King’s name will be established in the future, and the team will honor him with a memorial at a home game once returning this spring. The family wishes that any financial donations please go towards the scholarship that will be created in Branson’s memory. Please continue to check the Vulcans website and social media accounts for continued updates as more details will be provided as they become available." Danner did you read the whole article? Above taken from article!

Looks great thanks for the update! Big game January 27th between Fox Chapel and Quaker Valley in A. Will they both be undefeated at that point?

Overall I would say that is pretty impressive. Who said Western Pa doesn't have good hockey?

I guess Junior Hockey is a lot less expensive! I would think a lot of their kids get financial aid.

Do St Eds and Culver recruit? How does Shady Side compare to those teams? We don't hear much about Shady Side Hockey!

Looks like they have Livebarn. Might have to try and catch some games. Thanks for the updates.

Looks great! TK is hustling out there for sure! Mine has taken a few classes with TK at Ice Castle or Mt Lebo a few years ago. A little disapointed that he wasn't there but the instructors he had there were pretty good.

That is a great article! Hopefully it all works this year and the new owners decide to invest in it as a full time endeavor and develop some parking. The original proposal allowed for about 115 parking spaces. Charge 10.00 to park and make your money back relatively quickly I would think!

RJUSHL, How is your search going? Have you contacted anyone? Do you think you will be able to find what you are looking for?

So why bother if it's too much trouble? Why do the Penguins need to look good in the community? The people this is meant for aren't the ones buying tickets to Pens games!

Total attendance for the 3 games? Or total for each game?

Anybody go to any WPIAL Football championship games? I saw a few on TV. They sure didn't have many fans at Heinz Field. Other than Students and Parents it does not look like High School sports in Western Pa is a big draw at any sport.

https://whdh.com/news/necessary-mass-hockey-launches-reporting-system-for-violations-by-parents-spectators-following-brawl-at-youth-game-in-tewksbury/ The PIHL and PAHL should start this here! Maybe it would help with behavior at all games if it was enforced. How do we get it on their radar?

I saw a news story. Looked pretty nice! Anybody been there yet and where did you park?

Getting a little news coverage. I heard it's opening on the 29th

Will Pittsburgh Hockey Digest cover some of the big games coming up?