Observations from a Returning Official and Coach

Over the past two months, I have enjoyed a return to the sport I spent much of my childhood and young adult life playing, coaching and officiating … volleyball. My 11-year-old daughter took a liking to the game after an injury resulted in her “retirement” from competitive diving.

Through watching her teams and refereeing myself, I have been able to observe the highs and lows of elementary school sport, house league, rep volleyball (Under 12 to Under 18) and post secondary games. I’m assuming it’s a microcosm of many Provincial Sport Organizations. While there have been some pretty awful headlines in amateur sport lately, there has also been some great advancements. Most importantly, there is no denying the vital role sport plays in shaping the lives of thousands of young people. We need to keep that at the forefront of participation.

House League vs. Rep Ball

So my daughter wanted to play volleyball. I was thrilled. Having personally played six (yes six) years of high school ball, competed indoor through the club system in Waterloo Region and officiated provincially during the 1990’s and early 2000’s, I was very excited to share the love of volleyball with my little girl. We signed her up for our local House League and she attended the group session where they picked teams. I volunteered to shag balls and offered to help if required. With no communication until 24 hours before her first match, her team was picked, and I was listed as the head coach. Okay, here we go!

The weekly league offered 25 minutes of “skills and drills” followed by an hour of games. For many, this was the first opportunity to organized team play. The league followed the fantastic Triple Ball format, which increases the number of rallies. However, significantly more time was needed to develop skills instead of playing six-on-six on the court.

Parent expectations need to shift from a philosophy of more games make you a better player, to more skills makes you successful in sport and life, confident and want to play more.

Good coaches will introduce several ways to play “games” during skill development.

Days after playing her second House League match and making the league’s Select Team, my daughter was invited to a local rep team practice and she was offered a Letter of Commitment. This left Daddy coaching House League without his little girl, and my daughter playing competitively for someone else.

Spending 10 weeks guiding nine children who have varying levels of athleticism, physical literacy and understanding of the game was fascinating. While the “Green Spartans” took home the league championship, the satisfying results came from a unanimous commitment to continue playing the game. This goofy coach was able to share a joy in the sport so that each of them learned and most importantly, wanted to move forward in their volleyball journey. Amazing kids.

I was equally thrilled when parents asked “What do we look for when deciding a club for our child?” This is a question that has a profound impact on not only skill development and progression through the competitive system, but also, as research shows, will impact if your child continues to play sports at all.

Travelling from my house league coaching to watching my daughter play rep ball, the biggest difference I noticed was the cost of cars in the parking lot.

Of the nine girls on our house league team, probably five of them could make the rep team. While there are many reasons why families choose to play in one system versus another, cost remains the biggest factor. Go to a high school gym that is hosting an OVA tournament and you will not find any clunkers outside. Between gym rentals, uniforms, equipment, paid officials, travel costs, and membership, it is not cheap running a competitive sports team. We need to collectively find ways to give greater access to young people. There are thousands of kids in remote communities, low income urban centres, and reserves who simply cannot afford to play organized sport and/or don’t have easy access to teams. Many of their dreams remain unobtainable.

Observations from the Referee Stand

One benefit of being a volleyball referee in a region that needs more personnel is that you get to officiate the entire spectrum of the system. I’ve whistled in elementary school, high school and the full gamut of OVA club volleyball. Here’s what I’ve found:

1.      We need more female coaches and officials. It doesn’t matter how inclusive, fun and positively instructive I can be as a coach or official, NOTHING can replace the immense impact on a young girl’s sport growth than seeing female role models as players, coaches and officials. There are many programs and efforts taking place from organizations like CAAWS, Coaching Association of Ontario, and several Provincial Sport Organizations. There is some progress, but not nearly enough. With a big effort on producing more female coaches, we have to also promote the opportunities for female officials. The Canadian sport system has witnessed an increase of female leadership in sport through board and executive positions, but it hasn’t yet translated enough to the court. More female coaches and officials will make our sports better. Join me in this invitation.

2.      The elementary school system is broken. I know this is a touchy subject for many subjects in the education system. Sport and physical education is no exception. Having officiated junior and senior elementary volleyball championships recently, I was absolutely stunned with the varying degrees of physical literacy. Yes, there are many impact points such as timing of puberty in athletes, home economics, quality of coaching, etc. Some teams have rep players on their roster and as a result, the other kids are not getting many touches. But it wasn’t the volleyball skill that stood out to me. It was the physical literacy. A child should not get to Grade 8 without having learned to run, jump, throw, and balance themselves. This is not about the game so much as it is the necessary physical literacy to live a long and healthy life. My little brother teaches multiple subjects at an elementary school. He spends just as much time on lesson plans for Phys-Ed as he does math and science.

3.      A high school system not yet aligned with PSOs and too many games. I’m not talking volleyball, I’m talking all sports. When still serving Ontario Basketball, I remember an argument with high school organizers who wanted to shorten the club season because schools only had one week to pick teams and practice before their first league game. The better question should be: “Why are you playing a league game just five days in?” We cannot emphasize enough the profound role that the school system CAN have on skill development for young people. The sports that are really succeeding at the high school level are those that are properly aligned with the experts in provincial/national sport organizations and adhere to the Long Term Athlete Development model.

4.      Safety first. While it has taken some very serious issues such as the creation of Rowan’s Law, sport organizations are taking greater steps in protecting our children. From concussion protocol to a Safe Sport strategy, which includes Person of Authority and Respect in Sport, we are collectively recognizing the vulnerability of our kids, and the role coaches, officials and organizers have in protecting them. With much-needed emphasis on mental health, sport can also play such a pivotal role in this area. I do believe we are collectively learning from our mistakes.

(I’m currently working through Week #6 of my own concussion following a car accident. I can’t imagine what a 11-year-old hockey player goes through. There is no more “I got my bell rung.”).

5.      Our kids are awesome. Despite the evils of the TV screen, smart phone, and social media, I am amazed at how our children work through adversity from their participation in sport. It’s not just about finding the next Kia Nurse or Andre De Grasse. As a coach, official, organizer, teacher, and most importantly, a parent – stop and share in the pure joy your child can find by learning that new skill, getting a high-five from a teammate or scoring that first ace.

During this holiday season, let’s give thanks to the thousands of sport leaders who have the amazing responsibility of not just teaching our child how to pass a ball, but how to develop as a person with life skills benefiting well past the final whistle.