Club Respect

Putting on a front that says: “We’re a big happy family and side by side we stick together” and all of that pressure to get along hides and creates a reluctance to confront mental health issues at an individual level and confront real problems at an organisational level.

Include a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) plan in the strategic planning for your club committee. This can ensure your club is acknowledging the broader role it plays in embracing Aboriginal and Torres Strait, and have a sound framework to achieve goals around reconciliation and inclusion.

When a player is ‘working the referee’ according to Hatzoglou, there are two key factors at play. In addition to inviting abuse of the referee from fans who believe they are backing their player, the referee is denied the authentic feedback loop to improve their performance.

A better understanding of parent’s experiences can lead to creating more effective interventions that can improve the experience for everyone.

What drives an otherwise upstanding sports fan to scream abuse at a match official? Or turn an otherwise loving parent into a seething, foaming, resentful ball of fury at an 11-year-old boy who has made a refereeing decision that did not favour their child?

The outbreaks of violence against referees often sit at the tip of a pyramid of a dehumanisation process, in which an official is tarred with unchallenged labels that erode their authority. Once their integrity is undermined, it triggers an environment that encourages verbal or physical abuse.

For junior players especially, encourage coaches and adults to continuously refer to the club values and consider how to establish formal opportunities to recognise players who are demonstrating the values around the club and on the field.

This is how we practice respect at the Coburg Little Athletics Centre and hope our standards reflect the respectful behaviours we would like our children and parents to demonstrate beyond the sports field.

Calling a halt to the fundraising without a whole of club conversation about gender roles, respect, and creating a safe place for everyone would be a missed opportunity to grow a stronger club.

What drives an otherwise upstanding sports fan to scream abuse at a match official? Or turn an otherwise loving parent into a seething, foaming, resentful ball of fury at an 11-year-old boy who has made a refereeing decision that did not favour their child?