The members of the Lower State Youth
Soccer Association (LSYSA), as a league, believe we have a
responsibility to inform coaches, parents and spectators with regards to
what we deem as acceptable game day conduct. As
such, we offer the following points for you to consider which we hope
will serve as a guide to you in, and for the future of, the sport of
soccer.
· First and foremost,
please remember that this is a GAME being played by CHILDREN for THEIR
enjoyment. This is not the FIFA World Cup and,
while we all should embrace the competitive spirit, whether a team wins
or loses a match is truly of minimal consequence here. The
importance of fun, exercise, education and teamwork should be regarded
above all else.
· Children learn by
example. We all must strive to set the best
example possible for their sake. In a
competitive environment, such as with our sport, it is only natural that
emotions prevail and that, unchecked, these displays of enthusiasm can
lead to confrontations of various sorts. We, as
adults, must not allow our unbridled passions to negatively impact the
game and the children.
· LSYSA deeply encourages
the respect for authority. During the course of a
match, the coaches and the officials are authority figures in the eyes
of the children. To openly disparage their
efforts, directly in front of the children, negates this aspect and
undermines those values which we, as adults, should be attempting to
instill within them.
· Coaches are the leaders
during game time as well as being responsible for following league rules
and regulations. Spectators should resist the
temptation to instruct the children during the course of a match. Very often this serves more to confuse than to assist
since conflicting information is typically received by the players who,
especially those of younger ages, may not be able to process the varied
commands in order to achieve the desired results.
· Referees are the
guardians of fair play and safety during game time. Studies
have indicated that a referee will make a decision regarding play, on
average, once every six (6) seconds. Thus,
during the course of a 60-minute youth match, for example, approximately
600 decisions are enacted. In addition, many of
the rulings made will necessitate a degree of judgment be utilized on
the part of the referee, with few obvious, clear-cut situations
occurring. In light of this, to expect a referee
to achieve perfection is unrealistic and we should bear this in mind
when judging his or her performance.
· LSYSA utilizes only
USSF-certified referees as we believe only these individuals are
qualified to monitor fair play and safety. As a
recreational league, however, we tend to attract a greater percentage of
younger and less experienced referees to our matches than to those
matches in other, more competitive leagues. Our
league is, in effect, a starting point for many wishing to participate
in this aspect of the sport. This is a fact we
should recognize and accept. To berate a
referee, especially one new to the vocation, does everyone a disservice
as this often results in that person leaving the ranks and, as such, not
progressing towards becoming the experienced and proficient official we
all desire to have present at our matches. LSYSA
works closely with the referee community and, upon notification of a
problematical situation which might have been created by referee
ineptitude, is able to suggest that individual receive additional
training.