When you’re a referee, it can feel like you just can’t win.
The pay can be minimal and the pressure to be on your game at all times can be tremendous. Make a bad call and you’ll endure the wrath of everyone there. And nobody will give you a standing ovation for a good call.
“It’s a thankless job, to a certain extent,” said Tyler Goudal, the referee in chief for Port Coquitlam Minor Hockey.
But keeping referees engaged and in the game is key to providing everyone involved in a sport with a good experience.
That’s why PoCo Minor Hockey is raising $10,000 to establish a yearly scholarship of at least $500 to provide its young referees, and even off-ice officials, with more training, equipment or even counselling.
“This may be a referee that shows dedication and perseverance, someone that helps others on or off ice, or even a dedicated off-ice official that runs the clock at every game,” said Leif Sogaard of PoCo Minor Hockey.
It’s all about keeping them motivated, Goudal said.
The scholarship will be named after the Bradbury family, pillars of the local hockey community with seven brothers who all played, coached or refereed in PoCo Minor. One of them, Neil, passed away in June, 2016, as a consequence of a brain injury he had sustained while coaching.
Goudal said siblings following in the footsteps of their brothers or sisters is often the entry point into the refereeing ranks.
“It’s a way to get out on the ice.”
Once there, a young referee will earn $15 for working a novice game while an experienced official gets paid $55 at the juvenile level. Some of them manage to schedule two or three games in a row to earn a decent part-time wage, Goudal said. “But when you break it down, it isn’t a lot.”
And, of course, the older the kids and the higher the level of hockey, the more pressure officials can face from coaches, players and parents.
“Once everything gets more intense, everyone gets more emotionally involved in the game,” Goudal said.
That can be discouraging to a young referee who may also be coping with schoolwork or other life pressures. Get them through those challenges, and the association likely has a referee for life, Goudal said. “Once you get past the hurdle when kids graduate high school, they stay involved for a long time.”
While the gig won’t make a referee rich, or get them a table at the most exclusive restaurant in town, it does have rewards.
“There’s so many life skills when you’re officiating,” Goudal said. “They learn how to write reports, be accountable. They learn communication skills, how to talk to other players and adults. They learn how to write a test and studying rules.
Goudal said every referee in the association must pass an annual certification that is comprised of a four-hour clinic followed by a test. They’re also required to attend monthly on-ice and classroom training sessions that focus on elements of the game like stick infractions, boarding versus checking from behind and how to deal with abusive coaches and parents.
The latter can be especially difficult for new or younger referees.
“The biggest thing I say to them is don’t shut down lines of communication immediately,” Goudal said. “You can diffuse most situations by just listening. But that’s hard to teach to a 12-year-old.”
Most importantly, the regular training sessions help build a fraternity amongst the referees so they too feel part of a team, Goudal said.
“Officiating is kind of a brotherhood,” Goudal said. “They’re aware of each other and that there’s a support network. We’re all cooking in the same pot.”
And having a scholarship program, he hopes, will help keep that pot full.
• Donations to the Bradbury Memorial Scholarship Bursary Fund can be made at any VanCity savings branch to account #53027240 or online at a https://www.gofundme.com/Bradburymemorial. Donations of over $100 will be issued a tax receipt.
