• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertising & Sponsorships
  • Internships
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
  • Login
  • <span class="menu-image-title-hide menu-image-title">FloridaHSFootball.com+</span><img width="36" height="21" src="https://floridahsfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Plus-Logo-36-2px-36x21.png" class="menu-image menu-image-title-hide" alt="FloridaHSFootball.com+ Icon" decoding="async" loading="lazy" />
    • MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS
    • FloridaHSFootball.com+ Membership (Yearly) – $44.99/yr
    • FloridaHSFootball.com+ Membership (Monthly) – $4.99/mo
    • Account Access
  • Log In
  • <span class="menu-image-title-hide menu-image-title">Home</span><img width="24" height="19" src="https://floridahsfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/home-1-24x19.png" class="menu-image menu-image-title-hide" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" />
  • Football
    • 2021 Schedules
    • Recruiting
  • Flag Football
    • Box Score Report Submission
    • Flag Football Scoreboard
    • 2022 Playoff Brackets
  • Forums
  • Scoreboards
  • Rankings
  • Playoffs
  • More
    • FHSAA
    • Opinion
    • Podcast
No Result
View All Result
FloridaHSFootball.com
  • <span class="menu-image-title-hide menu-image-title">FloridaHSFootball.com+</span><img width="36" height="21" src="https://floridahsfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Plus-Logo-36-2px-36x21.png" class="menu-image menu-image-title-hide" alt="FloridaHSFootball.com+ Icon" decoding="async" loading="lazy" />
    • MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS
    • FloridaHSFootball.com+ Membership (Yearly) – $44.99/yr
    • FloridaHSFootball.com+ Membership (Monthly) – $4.99/mo
    • Account Access
  • Log In
  • <span class="menu-image-title-hide menu-image-title">Home</span><img width="24" height="19" src="https://floridahsfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/home-1-24x19.png" class="menu-image menu-image-title-hide" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" />
  • Football
    • 2021 Schedules
    • Recruiting
  • Flag Football
    • Box Score Report Submission
    • Flag Football Scoreboard
    • 2022 Playoff Brackets
  • Forums
  • Scoreboards
  • Rankings
  • Playoffs
  • More
    • FHSAA
    • Opinion
    • Podcast
No Result
View All Result
FloridaHSFootball.com
No Result
View All Result
  • <span class="menu-image-title-hide menu-image-title">FloridaHSFootball.com+</span><img width="36" height="21" src="https://floridahsfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Plus-Logo-36-2px-36x21.png" class="menu-image menu-image-title-hide" alt="FloridaHSFootball.com+ Icon" decoding="async" loading="lazy" />
  • Log In
  • <span class="menu-image-title-hide menu-image-title">Home</span><img width="24" height="19" src="https://floridahsfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/home-1-24x19.png" class="menu-image menu-image-title-hide" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" />
  • Football
  • Flag Football
  • Forums
  • Scoreboards
  • Rankings
  • Playoffs
  • More
Home FHSAA

NFHS & FHSAA: Dear Mom and Dad: Cool it

Florida HS Football Staff by Florida HS Football Staff
January 9, 2019
0
Class 1A playoff point averages & projected seeds – Week 7
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

EDITORS’ NOTE: The following is an opinion column from Karissa Niehoff, Executive Director of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and George Tomyn, Executive Director of the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA). While we don’t usually endorse outside opinion columns here at FloridaHSFootball.com, this column we are going to fully endorse.

Over the last few years, we have seen it more and more often that parents have been causing a massive headache for officials associations across the entire state. Currently, Florida is experiencing one of the highest shortages for officials in all high school sports in the nation and it is parents who are the primary factor of why there is this shortage and will continue to be a shortage until something is done.

Our opinion on this is that parents need to cool it as well as the fans. The officials are human like we are. They work everyday jobs as we do. Officiating is not the primary job of most officials you see at any high school athletic event in this state. Adults (yes you the parents) should be serving as role models for our student-athletes, not humiliating them because you don’t like a call from the officiating crew. Officials go through hours and hours of training each and every year to learn new rules and to refresh on existing rules. The abuse by the adults must come to end sooner rather than later or the lights at your nearby high school stadium or gymnasium will no longer come on for high school athletic events in this state. How would you feel about that? Hopefully not good after reading this. 

As such, it is very unprecedented for the governing body of high school athletics in this state to issue such an opinionated column, but unprecedented times call for unprecedented actions. We are fully backing the FHSAA with this column and running it word-for-word as sent to us and the rest of the working media in this state.

Without further ado, here is the column from Karissa Niehoff and George Tomyn.

If you are the mother or father of a high school athlete here in Florida, this message is primarily for you.

When you attend an athletic event that involves your son or daughter, cheer to your heart’s content, enjoy the camaraderie that high school sports offer and have fun. But when it comes to verbally criticizing game officials or coaches, cool it.

Make no mistake about it. Your passion is admired, and your support of the hometown team is needed. But so is your self-control. Yelling, screaming and berating the officials humiliates your child, annoys those sitting around you, embarrasses your child’s school and is the primary reason Florida has an alarming shortage of high school officials.

It’s true. According to a recent survey by the National Association of Sports Officials, more than 75 percent of all high school officials say “adult behavior” is the primary reason they quit. And 80 percent of all young officials hang up their stripes after just two years of whistle blowing. Why? They don’t need your abuse.

Plus, there’s a ripple effect. There are more officials over 60 than under 30 in many areas. And as older, experienced officials retire, there aren’t enough younger ones to replace them. If there are no officials, there are no games. The shortage of licensed high school officials is severe enough in some areas that athletic events are being postponed or cancelled—especially at the freshman and junior varsity levels.

Research confirms that participation in high school sports and activities instills a sense of pride in school and community, teaches lifelong lessons like the value of teamwork and self-discipline and facilitates the physical and emotional development of those who participate. So, if the games go away because there aren’t enough men and women to officiate them, the loss will be infinitely greater than just an “L” on the scoreboard. It will be putting a dent in your community’s future.

If you would like to be a part of the solution to the shortage of high school officials, you can sign up to become a licensed official at HighSchoolOfficials.com. Otherwise, adult role models at high school athletic events here in Florida are always welcome.

Tags: FeaturedFHSAAFlorida High School Athletic AssociationGeorge TomynKarissa NiehoffNational Federation of State High School AssociationsNFHS
ShareTweetSendShare
Previous Post

FHSAA releases football classification assignments for 2019 and 2020 seasons

Next Post

2018 Class 1A All-State Football Teams

Florida HS Football Staff

Florida HS Football Staff

FloridaHSFootball.com is your home of football and flag football information from around the state. From news, schedules, scores, recruiting and everything else, this is the place to be! FloridaHSFootball.com Staff account post various reports collected by FloridaHSFootball.com Staff members and Interns.

Related Posts

WILSON: Bill Castle’s legacy at Lakeland is one that will be remembered for generations to come

WILSON: Bill Castle’s legacy at Lakeland is one that will be remembered for generations to come

January 4, 2023
Attendance up at FHSAA state championship games; highest reported number in 15 years

Attendance up at FHSAA state championship games; highest reported number in 15 years

December 20, 2022
Game times officially set for FHSAA State Championships in Tallahassee

Game times officially set for FHSAA State Championships in Tallahassee

November 29, 2022
FLAG FOOTBALL: Class 1A FHSAA Flag Football State Finals preview

FLAG FOOTBALL: Class 2A FHSAA Flag Football State Finals preview

May 12, 2022
Load More
Next Post
2018 Class 1A All-State Football Teams

2018 Class 1A All-State Football Teams

2018 Class 1A All-State Football Teams

2018 Class 2A All-State Football Teams

2018 Class 3A All-State Football Teams

2018 Class 3A All-State Football Teams

2018 Class 3A All-State Football Teams

2018 Class 4A All-State Football Teams

2018 Class 5A All-State Football Teams

2018 Class 5A All-State Football Teams

ADVERTISEMENT

RSS ON THE FORUMS NOW!

  • Trinity Catholic going to Ohio to get a running clock put on them
  • Who / What Are The "Slaps"
  • Longest active winning streaks in the state
  • Longest Active losing streaks in the state
  • Happy Anniversary to FloridaHSFootball.com
  • Coach Salaries
  • SSAC announces teams for 11-man, 8-man and Atlantic leagues
  • Giants vs Eagles Megathread
  • Coral Shores vs Marathon rivalry
  • STA dipping into Tampa Bay?
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

2022 FHSAA Football State Champions

2022 SSAC Football Champions

2022 FHSAA Flag Football State Champions

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
FloridaHSFootball.com

© 2010-2022, Florida HS Football, LLC. All rights reserved.

Inside FloridaHSFootball.com

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertising
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • <span class="menu-image-title-hide menu-image-title">FloridaHSFootball.com+</span><img width="36" height="21" src="https://floridahsfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Plus-Logo-36-2px-36x21.png" class="menu-image menu-image-title-hide" alt="FloridaHSFootball.com+ Icon" decoding="async" loading="lazy" />
    • MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS
    • FloridaHSFootball.com+ Membership (Yearly) – $44.99/yr
    • FloridaHSFootball.com+ Membership (Monthly) – $4.99/mo
    • Account Access
  • Log In
  • <span class="menu-image-title-hide menu-image-title">Home</span><img width="24" height="19" src="https://floridahsfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/home-1-24x19.png" class="menu-image menu-image-title-hide" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" />
  • Football
    • 2021 Schedules
    • Recruiting
  • Flag Football
    • Box Score Report Submission
    • Flag Football Scoreboard
    • 2022 Playoff Brackets
  • Forums
  • Scoreboards
  • Rankings
  • Playoffs
  • More
    • FHSAA
    • Opinion
    • Podcast

© 2010-2022, Florida HS Football, LLC. All rights reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In