Whenever I am at my brother’s hockey games, I can’t help but notice how poorly referees get treated by parents. These parents- the parents of ten-year-olds- step way out of line at the games. When I hear the constant complaints, my stomach churns like it does when I eat too much chocolate; yelling makes me nervous. I don’t like how the parents treat the referees. It really isn’t okay. Hockey is an intense sport, yes, but these kids aren’t in the NHL, and each referee has a different amount of leniency in regards to penalties.

As long as the referees are being fair and treating each side the same, I don’t understand why parents from both teams get so frustrated. In the end, it really is just a game that won’t be remembered in the future by one bad call. I guarantee referees are treating each side equally; it’s the parents that are being unfair. They automatically dislike the other team, so any call against their own team is hated. In any other situation, these human beings wouldn’t be attacked the way they do but during a hockey game, they get seriously berated.

I understand that people may not agree with the call, they might be angry in the moment, but really? That call won’t matter tomorrow; it won’t even matter in two hours. I would love to see everyone who is making fun of the referees out there doing the job themselves, because obviously they know what to do.

I often hear parents screaming at the referees to get out of the way when the puck is in action, but they also get mad when they don’t see a penalty that should have been called. What do they want? Do they want them to see the game or get out of the way? They can’t do both at the same time. Hockey is a very fast-paced game. The puck can travel up to 100 miles per hour, and the quick moves the referees make to get out of the way requires skill– a skill that most parents don’t possess, so maybe they should stop worrying and just let the referees do their job.

Referees make 20 dollars an hour, which is more than minimum wage, but way less than they deserve. Some referees are in high school, just trying to make some extra cash, and I don’t think what they have to endure is worth it. The stands filled with vexed grown men and women is more difficult to deal with than taking care of an infant, which would actually pay more.

At future hockey games, I would love to see a difference in the way the referees are treated. They do so much but their efforts aren’t recognized– only the mistakes they make get noticed.

Referees are just doing their job. They are trying their best to please both sides, which is nearly impossible in a sport. At least one person is going to disagree with a call every now and then, and it should be handled in a different way.

Referees are trying. They are just doing their job.