ATTENTION COACHES - UMPIRES ARE NEEDED
10/02/2022
The Kentucky Lacrosse Umpires Board (KLUB) is working to provide more training opportunities and broaden our reach to seek out new officials. We are contacting various organizations and others to try to grow our list of officials.
This issue will DIRECTLY AFFECT YOU - SO WE NEED YOUR HELP....
First, we want to challenge each team to submit 2 names to go through NEW OFFICIALS ORIENTATION/TRAINING. THERE WILL BE A PRIZE FOR THE TEAM PROVIDING THE MOST PROSPECTS.
Here is the New Officials Checklist that you are welcome to share with people and to help get new officials started. Download NEW OFFICIALS CHECKLIST 2023. While current players may be helpful at the MS game, we are really looking to grow the potential HS Officials.
So, who is a good candidate to officiate HS GIRLS LACROSSE?
- Graduated Former HS Girls Lacrosse players - college or post college students who no longer play for a local team
- Parents of graduates or current players
- Teachers at your affiliated schools
- AD Contacts - Do your ADs know officials in other sports or other sports parents who may be interested?
- Other sports league officials - church league officials, non-school affiliated players/parents/officials for other sports, collegiate intramural players/coaches?
Please send your list of prospects (name, phone and email) and any info you can provide about each person to John Slider. We will evaluate the number of names/people who attended training for each school. A prize will be given at the Rules Interpretation meeting in January or February to the team who has the most prospective HS officials who completed the NEW OFFICIALS ORIENTATION. We welcome current HS players to go through the training, but recognize that they have game and school constraints that may limit their availability during the spring season.
THE MOST IMPORTANT WAY YOU CAN HELP:
Please evaluate your coaching style, behavior, language and tone during games and communications with officials before and after games. NFHS and NASO (National Association of Sports Officials) have released several studies and articles regarding the rapid decrease in the number of officials. (Download Officials Retention Survey) One of the biggest reasons officials leave the sport or don't continue to higher levels is because of the team bench and spectator behavior. This is a BIG reminder for all coaches to evaluate their own behavior as well as the behavior of their bench personnel and parents. Officials understand that occasionally people get emotional, but personal attacks, repeated situations of questioning of calls and hostile tone, criticism, or harassment will make officials NOT come back to your field or games. Officials have a right to DECLINE any games they are assigned and THEY ARE DECLINING games due to the behavior of Kentucky coaches and spectators. Please hold each other and yourself accountable. Our officials put in a lot of time training and preparing for your season. But, just like you and your players, people are not always perfect and each game is a learning process for everyone involved. Be respectful of the officials' time and effort. Please feel free to reach out to John Slider if you would like some assistance on appropriate communications with officials.
SO START TALKING LACROSSE TO EVERYONE AND SEND US YOUR NEW POTENTIAL HS OFFICIALS! LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON THE FIELD!