chindit

tonight, Sweetwater and Sequoyh play another way; at 5pm, Carson newman women's soccer team ( with Mo Gruenenfelder, Melissa Morris of Sweetwater) scrimmages Tn Tech U (Mary Gray Johnson of SQHS). see how far the other football game in Monroe Co has come!

Gentlemen, Gentlemen... Let's change the direction for a moment; those that want to take pride in SQHS athletics, join me, just for a minute. Go to TTUsports.com, womens soccer, 2008 roster, down towards the bottom, #21. I know it's a football thread but give me this 45 seconds of pride and thankfulness and let me share it with all the SQHS faithful.

I for one, vote for the game to be played, anywhere by anyone. Cheamilion makes a point about $40.00. Think about that, 7 or so home matches x $40.00 in a school forced to make tough financial decisions every day? Maybe they pick up wrestling or something and dump soccer over $280.00... I was in Johnson City over the weekend at the McDonalds tournament with my team (U12B); and an Englishman made a point I hear a lot, (mostly away from High schools) that "Americans" (that's us) have turned Soccer into a game of the privileged. Some look down their noses at the backwater high schools with cowpasture fields, unskilled coaches and 2-3 reasonably tallented players... and 2 refs. I applaud those enclaves of well played HS soccer, (going out on a limb here) but it's enjoyable to referee the Grace, McMinn County or Cleveland matches. I don't work them but I attend occasionally, Bearden or CAK; and it's great high school soccer. But they don't work harder or do more with less than Tellico, Rhea Co, Harriman or Sweetwater. In Tellico, there is one man that practically single handed keeps the game alive.... Sorry about the rant, don't know how I got off on that...., ok, 2 man crews works well if the 2 are in sync- 3 is better. sela

what's the point in playing the game if it's been decided? Don't. There will be other kids that want to play. Also, don't waste your batteries filming. There is an Assigner for each region, (Chatt, Knox, Nash, etc.) Ask the next official or your coach who the assigner is for your region, his email address will be remarkably easy to uncover. Email chapter and verse, tell the assigner every slight, (real and percieved) and every "bad" call. I know for a fact, MY assigner particularly enjoys getting rambling, poorly structured missives about the acumen (or lack thereof) of his referees. As a coach, I tell my players to let the referee's referee and players play. If they believe the game is being called against them, play harder, it is in THEIR power to win against all odds, great opponants, bad officials, cold, rain, lousy pitches..., this is Soccer, not baseball. As a referee there are coaches I don't like, it happens. Mostly I decline their games. If I take one, I take the fan side instead of the bench. There are coaches that don't like me. It happens. I do my best. I realize that most players and coaches (and parents) know more about soccer than I do; they're just too busy to be referees and use that valuable knowledge for the betterment of the game. If you are a referee, when you step on the pitch 100% of the people present; players, coaches and fans do not like you. If you are successful, 50% do not like you a little less. At ease, I'll be in the area all day.

As an official, and being the ultimate authority on the field, I would not stop the match because team A was really good and team B was not. A coach that is known to encourage his players to put up goals with impunity has said, "If you don't want to get drilled like that, don't play us. If you can't compete, get out. I train my teams to win, and to win we score." Again, I've not been a HS coach, but in competitive, if my kids can win 9-0, we will as sometimes goals scored and shut outs count in tournaments. I do put restrictions on the players as soon as, in my opinion, we are the better side in a mismatch. The other day, the boys had to (a) string 5 passes ( the center mid could only play back to a defender © the only shots taken were a combination through ball and cross.

My annual story... a few years ago I coached at Hiwassee College. In my 3rd yr of the program, the first with any scholarships, I innocently took a match with a brand new NAIA, Va Intermont. Their coach told me, "It will be a good match, all my guys are freshmen..." I was not ashamed of that team, I just choose to put my efforts into E Tn kids and not so many foreign nationals, so my line was a McMinnCentral sweeper, a Lenoir City forward and wing, a Karns defender, that kinda thing. Well, his team was all freshmen alright, most of the Ugandan National Team!! The ref told me at the half, they had searched the rule book and the only way they could call the match was if they tossed me, as I had no assistant. They were willing, if I was, it was probably 13-0 at that point...but I have been nothing if not a believer in the dignity of the game... I was mad at the other coach but mostly at myself and durn skippy, we played on. I don't remember the final, it is an insignifigant footnote to my College Coaching career. The team got better, we won some matches that year, The young men grew up and a couple of them are now coaching highschool soccer and probably reading this story right now and laughing at the memory. The undefeated Va Intermont lost their National ambition bid to Kings College on a goal scored by some kid from, I think CAK. My point is, that their was something to be taught and learned, even in the most mismatched 90 minutes. How I dealt with that was seen by 18 young men, I refused to quit and refused to let them. If I had it to do over, the only thing I would change, would be the uniforms. We played in black and it was hotter than the 7th level that night...........

well, it's true that everyone has an opinion about officials. When I started working matches at the HS level, an old hand told me, "Just remember, when you step on the pitch, 100% of the players, coaches and fans don't like you. If you have a good game, when you step off, 50% will not like you a little less." Armed with confidence of my ability and knowledge that good officials are essential, there are still places I do not choose to go. Renumeration nonwithstanding, If I want that kind of abuse, I can just hang around my house and tell my wife I'm gonna sit and watch the NCAA tournament all day. She'll take care of that.

As to the earlier question about soft red vs hard red, I expect in the eyes of TSSAA, a red is a red. The coach and the AD have to defend the ejection to TSSAA, not the referee. Ask yourself, a year ago, did 2 yellows result in an ejection and a suspention? I think it needs saying, The referees work for the Game, not the HS, not the District, not TSSAA.

The week ban was instituted by TSSAA for the reason given; I was in the Officials Meeting when it was announced. IN the opinion of the governing body TSSAA, the example I gave earlier about football was cited as a reason to suspend for 2 mathces. As a coach, I have on occasion thanked my last defender, when they were sent off for a last desperate tackle. I've even had my keeper sent off for a tackle outside the box, with no defender behind them. I was wrong in insinuating earlier that a defending player would be automatically sent off for a handball in the box; BlackmanSoccerdad has it correct. I apologize for that. I think, in the opinion of TSSAA, a red card is similar to, when a HS basketball player shoves an opponant to the court, he is ejected and suspended for a week. I know it doesn't hold water, I'm just telling what I've been told, by them what are in charge.

The 2 match ban is a result of equity with other sports at the HS level. If, for instance, you are tossed from a football game, you sit a week, since HS soccer generally plays 2x a week, thus the 2 match ban. Sportsnut- an intentional handball in the box is one of the first rules we teach little kids. It's also an easy infraction to call as a referee. I would think that knowing you are gone for up to 3 full matches and the balance of the one you are playing would be an incentive NOT to stick your shoulder out to direct a high ball. Just sayin'........

UNC- I know that it is your intent to compliment the referees for their mid season form. It's easy to find out who it was. I'll tell you, or just say what you want. We can handle it, we have cards, you know.....

Merry Christmas to all!! I'm too lazy to start my own thread for a question, does anyone know the All region III and/or All District V teams? Sadly, we are in a non-speaking relationship with the coach and considering the HS record, I doubt any of our girls made it, but I was curious. My Daughter "seniored out"; and I will miss the boards. Soft grass pitches, blue skys and fair ref's to you all. Chindit

Kickgrass- excellent!! Thanks for clearing the soapbox, I'll get up here, and if I might say, I intend to use the "Prom dress" line, and will credit you appropriatly. I said last night, this is an officials issue, the rules exist and can be enforced. But hey folks, the halls are empty where the lines of young, healthy, qualified men and women should be lined up to put in their applications to become the referees everyone wants. I say, certify referees to a higher standard...but...pay...them.

Thank you, now I can read this, and as I said, I appreciate your opinion... Heaven knows I give mine often enough. No, I don't coach my daughter. I watch her play, and, for instance, 2 years ago at State in Memphis she was going around in the semi's with a Real Madrid player; and finally hit her from the side and clocked her. She was appropriatly cautioned for that, but the tackle was excessive. Thats what I mean by paying for sins... Don't change the game, ever. It exists, if we change it in TN HS, how will the players play with the Ghanans, the Japanese, the Figi Islanders? As referee's, we bear the responsibility to correct bad slide tackles. If it is slide, no ball, from behind, it is an ejection; fines and wailing of coaches and fans aside. How many letters does an AD have to get before he calls the coach in and says, "teach this correctly, tell your players not to do it or YOU PAY THE FINE." That's all I'm saying. I'm a little bitter today, the coast of slide tackles cuts deep in my house (and my pocket).

As a post it note "atdenton" I recognise you have an opinion and want to express it, however, this is not texting. For the sake of some of us old people, please consider a paragraph, a capital letter to begin a sentence; something. The reason that whole pesky English stuff exists is so others can read what you think. When you run every sentence together as "stream of thought" it, frankly, gets boring and hard to decipher. I want to read your opinion, but constituted as it is, just can't. Having said that, I believe as a father, a coach and a HS referee that scouts take the arrows. Yes, the better players have a higher incident of injury, but statistically the better players have their foot on the ball more often and are more likely to inflict damage on their opponants. I camped on another thread about Lara the other night, sorry bapride, to report an injury to my daughter, taken down in a bloody small town rivalry. We won't know the outcome of her MRI till tuesday, but club ball, maybe HS basketball, heck- driving her own car (a stick) is all gone for now.College Soccer? maybe not as a freshman. She will go to Senior night on crutches. Why? Because she's a center mid, because she's a senior, because she wears the same number year in and year out. The coach didn't have to tell his girls to shut her down... they all know each other. They don't like each other. It's like that. There's also a bit of paying for our sins, she is not guiltless in ball challenges and others have been helped off because of her over the years. Slide Tackle? if it can't be done right, be done away-and it is our referees responsibility. A few (dozen) ejections, nice letters from TSSAA and fines will either force better coaching technique or a ban. Thank you, that's my opinion.