Orillia soccer club takes stand against on field abuse to support teen referees
Rising abuse on the field has resulted in a decline in teen referees across the province, prompting an Orillia soccer club to take action.
"In the last few years, it's been difficult to keep a teen referee working," said John Copp, Orillia and District Minor Soccer.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
The club has added adult mentors for young officials to combat the verbal and physical abuse from parents and coaches.
"They [abusive individuals] distract and detract from the whole experience," Copp said. "There's nothing enjoyable about sitting beside someone screaming at a 13-year-old that's playing or a 13-year-old that's officiating."
Unfortunately, incidents of teenage referees being pushed, swarmed, and even assaulted by adults are not uncommon.
One extreme case occurred after an adult was ejected from a men's league game.
"That individual proceeded to the parking lot and went into the trunk of the car and pulled out a machete and chased that around the field with actually a machete in hand," recalled Johnny Misley, Ontario Soccer CEO.
In response to such abuse, Ontario Soccer plans to follow the lead of the United Kingdom by equipping 50 officials across the province with body cameras starting July 1.
Misley said the cameras would serve as a visual deterrent and provide recorded data for disciplinary actions and follow-up investigations.
Tracy Vaillancourt, a University of Ottawa professor, is part of a research team studying the mental and physical effects of abuse on referees.
"Heightened cortisol levels and the like," she noted. "Those things impact memory and performance. All of those things. It's going to impact virtually all aspects of their functioning because we know that's what violence does to kids."
Despite the prevailing negativity, Copp wants to focus on the rewarding experience refereeing can provide, particularly for young individuals.
He believes that a minority of games and individuals cause bad experiences and calls for organizations to hold parents and coaches more accountable.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why a group of Canadian doctors says workplace sick notes need to go
Canadian doctors are calling for employers and schools not to require sick notes when it comes to short-term minor illnesses.
Monthly food bank use soars to record 2 million, driven by cost of groceries, housing
Canada's reliance on food banks has soared to a grim new milestone, according to data from Food Banks Canada.
Latin superstar Bad Bunny backs Harris for president after comedian's racist jokes at Trump event
Bad Bunny threw his support behind U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris on Sunday by sharing a video of the Democratic presidential nominee shortly after a comedian at Donald Trump's Madison Square Garden rally made crude jokes about Latinos and called Puerto Rico a 'floating island of garbage,' angering artists and some Hispanic Republicans.
Ontario vision of Niagara as northern Las Vegas may not include Marineland: minister
A major amusement park is part of Ontario's grand vision to turn the Niagara region into Las Vegas north, but Marineland may not fit the bill, the provincial tourism minister says.
Trump's Madison Square Garden event features crude and racist insults
Donald Trump took the stage Sunday night at New York's Madison Square Garden to deliver his campaign's closing argument with the election nine days away after several of his allies used crude and racist insults toward U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris and other critics of the former president.
No change in standings after 2 of 3 recounts completed in B.C. election
Two of the three recounts in B.C.’s 2024 provincial election have been completed, with no change to the standings in either riding.
Adele and Celine Dion share heartfelt embrace and shed tears in sweet concert encounter
Adele and Celine Dion were each brought to tears after an emotional interaction during Adele's concert at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
NATO confirms that North Korea has sent troops to join Russia's war in Ukraine
NATO on Monday confirmed that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia to aid in its almost three-year war against Ukraine and that some have already been deployed in Russia's Kursk border region, where Russia has been struggling to push back a Ukrainian incursion.
Woman charged with assaulting Australian senator who shouted at the King
A woman appeared in an Australian court on Monday charged with a May assault on the Indigenous senator who shouted at King Charles III during a royal reception last week.