Help wanted: Field hockey referees in short supply

Thursday, July 14, 2005

By MATT DiFILIPPO
Staff Writer

WATERVILLE -- Don Sproul is the new assigner for high school and middle school field hockey games in central Maine. He's finding out what Gail Santerre and Pam Newton, who preceded him in the job, already know.

There aren't enough officials to go around.

Sproul has 30 full-time officials returning this fall, which sounds impressive until you realize that he's assigning games for 35 high schools and 34 middle schools. Obviously, these teams will often play each other, but even if Sproul puts everyone on duty, only 15 games can be covered on one day.

"I know I have several dates right now that I have more than 20 games," Sproul said.

So Sproul is asking for your help. If you have any knowledge of the sport, some free time and some enthusiasm, he's interested.

"That's what we're looking for," Sproul said, "someone who enjoys kids, enjoys sports, willing to give a little of their time to help field hockey remain a viable sport."

Prospective officials can learn the sport through clinics which are held at summer league games. There's a rules interpretation session Aug. 3 and a written exam at Kennebec Ice Arena in Hallowell on Aug. 19. After that, everyone -- even returning officials -- is graded at Messalonskee's annual playday, which is Aug. 20 this year.

Longtime official Jeff Jewett runs the Waterville clinic, and each week he goes over the rulebook for an hour before stepping onto the field to do three summer league games at Waterville Junior High School.

Jewett goes over what he thinks will be on the test and has the prospective officials follow him around during the game, so he can explain rules and answer questions. Sometimes, one of the newcomers will make the calls with Jewett carrying his own whistle. Among those at Jewett's clinic on Tuesday were Katie Ward, a junior who plays at Winslow High School, and Kelsy Cloutier, a 2003 graduate of Erskine Academy who now attends Findlay (Ohio) College.

"He was really patient with us," Cloutier said. "At first, you don't really know what's going on, and everything kind of meshes together. Then it started to get a lot more familiar."

Jewett and others put in this kind of work because the newcomers are so few. In a sport like baseball, an umpire will wait a few years before doing a high-level varsity game. In field hockey, an apprentice -- essentially, a first-year referee without much experience -- will often be called upon very quickly.

"Some apprentices had to work varsity games last year," Sproul said. "As a matter of fact, it wasn't uncommon."

Fortunately, Sproul said, he has officiated in other sports, and says the atmosphere is much more relaxed for officials in field hockey.

"The coaches and the fans and the players are all extremely good," Sproul said. "Probably a third of the games, I'd walk off the field (and) the players would thank me for officiating. You never get that in any other sport."

There's one other consideration that might be of interest to people wanting to become an official. At $73 plus 34 cents per mile for doing a varsity and JV game, "The money in field hockey is better than any other sport," Sproul said.

Matt DiFilippo -- 861-9243

mdifilippo@centralmaine.com