Several years ago, legendary NHL linesman Kevin Collins stepped up to a microphone in Minneapolis to address a crowd of 250 officials at the inaugural USA Hockey Advanced Officiating Symposium.
The hall of fame official spent the first half of his speech paying homage to those who helped usher in the early days of officiating education before shifting gears to challenge those in attendance to look to the future by protecting and mentoring the next generation of officials.
“I’m asking you to do your part to help save our game and the future of it,” Collins implored his fellow officials. “I’m asking you to take this message back to your local association and convince your leagues to reach out to coaches and parents and hold them accountable.”
It was a call to arms that served as a wake-up call for those in the game.
According to USA Hockey registration data, 33 percent of all registered officials leave the game each year, and almost 50 percent of first-year officials don’t return for their second season. The main reasons they cite are local politics that keep them from being assigned games and the constant berating from coaches and parents.
Without a system in place to help them get off on the right foot many young officials can sometimes feel like they’ve been thrown into the deep end of the pool before they learn to tread water, let alone swim.
USA Hockey created an officiating task force to address the root causes of officials leaving the game, which in turn can impact leagues and associations at all levels that may not have enough qualified officials to work the hundreds of scheduled games each season.
While there has been a renewed commitment to create a nationwide mentor program that can help newcomers navigate the challenges that all officials face, NYSAHA’s East Section has been ahead of the curve when it comes to helping rookie refs find their place in the game.
Mark Stewart remembers having that “deer in a headlights” feeling when he began his officiating career more than 10 years ago. Despite being older and sporting an extensive playing resume he quickly realized there was much he didn’t know about life in stripes. Thanks in large part to the generosity of more experienced officials, Stewart worked his way up the ranks, first serving on the training staff and was eventually elected to serve as the East Section referee in chief.
“There are a lot of people who are just like I was who are looking for help,” he said. “How can we make that first experience better so they don’t say, ‘This is too hard. I’m not doing that anymore.’”
In 2014 the East Section created the Officiating Mentorship Program as a way to ensure that those just starting out in the game have the support they need to succeed. The first year saw an outpouring of support as 24 experienced officials volunteered their time to share their knowledge with 20 newcomers eager to learn.
The program has continued to grow as this past season saw 50 new officials working with a strong core of mentors.
Every mentor in the program has a group of new officials under their tutelage. The mentor will skate with them during one of their first games, typically in a local house league, where the emphasis on winning is not as great as it might be in other leagues and provide on-the-ice training about positioning and rule interpretation. They will also watch a couple more games from the stands and provide their feedback afterwards.
They also maintain a line of communication throughout the season to answer any questions and serve as a sympathetic sounding board whenever things get rough.
Jon Sandos is a veteran official who has served as a mentor since the beginning of the program. He said sometimes it’s difficult for young officials to get the feedback they need to improve their skills and gain a greater understanding of what it takes to be a good official. Some may have questions about positioning or rule interpretations. Others just want to know if they’re doing a good job and vent their frustrations when things don’t seem to be going their way.
“This program gives new officials an opportunity to ask questions and get information so they don’t feel as if they’re on an island,” said Sandos, who worked with nine new officials this past season. “We check in once a month to make sure they’re doing OK.”
Mentors don’t get paid for their time. It’s simply their way of giving back to the game and ensuring that the profession is in better hands once they hang up their whistle.
“It’s encouraging to see so many people give back to the game we all love,” Stewart said.
Part of their role takes them to youth practices where they talk about a career in officiating. It’s all in the name of creating new avenues of recruitment along with giving players a greater understanding of the challenges officials face and how it can impact everyone in the game.
The goal is to improve retention rates by ensuring the first-year officials have a good experience, so they stay in the game and keep improving their craft. Another goal is watching young officials continue to climb the ladder so they can work at higher levels, such as in junior leagues and the college ranks.
“That is a very rewarding thing for us to use as a benchmark, but the reality is we need more officials and we need the young ones who are just starting to continue,” Stewart said. “We want to make that first experience for them a good one and give them kind of a leg up so they stick with it.”