What is the VYS: No Room For Abuse initiative?

With the No Room For Abuse initiative, the club's goal is to bring awareness to the ever growing verbal and even physical abuse referees face across the country. The rise of abuse cases has increased dramatically after the pandemic. Referees are more reluctant to officiate games due to concerns about their safety and the potential for verbal or physical abuse from players, coaches, and parents. The increased aggression in recent years has undoubtedly made it more challenging to schedule referees for games across the country as associations are reporting a growing trend in shortages due to this epidemic plaguing the nation.

Throughout the season you will find our officials during  House League games wear the 'VYS: No Room For Abuse' armband to bring attention to this issue.

Statistics

Officially Human, an organization promoting respect among referees,  surveyed former referees. They found 60% of the 19,000 referees claimed their most prominent reason for leaving was the verbal abuse received from parents and fans.

Why is this important?

VYS is dedicated to protecting our referees by creating a positive and healthy community to stay aligned with our mission. By drawing attention to abusive behavior, the club aims to eliminate this habit from our beautiful game and maintain a fun and friendly atmosphere. Through our efforts, we hope other clubs and communities follow suit as we look to tackle this problem together.

Join us in our efforts to provide a positive and healthy game day experience. Below is a list of expectations set by the

club and actions you can take to help us make a change:

1. Focus on Good Sportsmanship: One of the main values in our House League is sportsmanship. Show respect towards opponents, teammates, coaches, and referees.
2. Mistakes Happen: Mistakes on the field are inevitable. Let's create an environment that embraces mistakes and allows everyone to learn and grow.
3. Cheer vs Steer Mentality: Focus on cheering and not steering each decision made in a game, either from players or referees. Remember, this is the children's version of the adult game.

"With a positive attitude you always win, no matter what the scoreboard says!" 

Remember to support each other at the fields as we all wear the same badge.