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Even NHL referees make mistakes. Our minor hockey officials, young and old alike, are vital to keeping our kids on the ice. We should be yelling out a big thank you to them during each game. Considering this would be the reacâ€" tion of most people â€"â€" call the police, this person is nuts and their verbal abuse may turn into physical violence â€" one wonders why we don't apply this same standard at our local hockey rinks, soccer fields and baseball diamonds. While much has been done to improve the behaviour of coaches through police checks and mandatory courses that stress fair play and level-headedness, one won- ders if the time has come for parents to take a similar course and sign a code of conduct when registering their child to play. That code of conduct should spell out that, while parents are encouraged to cheer for their children or boo at a bad call, yelling, screaming and spewing profan- ity at officials will not be tolerated. When parents behave this way, the game will be halted until the parent leaves. Repeated incidents will result in a ban from the rink, ball field or soccer pitch. Ifyou did, someone nearby would like- ly pull out their cellphone and dial 911. Your agressive, loudâ€"mouthed behaviour was uncalled for, especially when directed at a teenager â€" a not very highly paid one at that. Perhaps it would be best for all concerned if the police were on their way. While many factors were cited, one clear problem contributing to refs leav- ing the game and young hockey lovers refraining from picking up the whistle. is the verbal abuse they are forced to put up with from coaches and parents. These games cannot happen without officials. If we continue to expect them to put up with a form of abuse we would not allow in any other workplace, we will end up without enough refs to run the games. If you were in your favourite cofiee shop, perhaps even one named after an NHL hockey player, and you did not like the way a 16-year-old server had filled your order, would you start screaming at him or her? Would you yell, “What the '@%A#. Open your eyes! That’s a doubleâ€" double. I wanted black, one sugar! Wake up!” at the top of your lungs? League organizers in York Region tell us they have a challenge finding referees to oversee hockey games. It’s surprising this behaviour, a Cana- dian style of psychotherapy, getting out of one’s frustrations through yelling at ofliciating crews, is still tolerated. It is wonderful to be passionate about a sport. But it is quite another to take out our frustrations on young men and women who take up officiating as a part-time job, or simply as a way to stay involved with a sport they love. lETTERS POLICY than 400 words and must include a daytime tel hone number. name and m. The Sun-mbune reserves the right to publish or not publish and to edit for clarity and space. The Sun-Mbune welcomes your letters. All submlswions mus‘ be less w Ru w ‘(WMNIHNMM M?!“\‘."YWW Letter: to the Editor. The Sun-Tribune 6290 Main St Stoumm. GM L“ IS? jmason.ytmg.com Stoujfi'ille Sunâ€"Tribune I Thursday, Ian. 17, 2008 Referees deserve more thanks Editorial [meme Mann Marketing 8: Advertising Manager Dawna Andrews dandmmflfyrmg.mm jmasonaynng.mm EDmmIAL Editor lim Mason St. Brigid got recycling back, too, thanks to help from community And, after all that, we finally reached what we were fighting for. Politicians helped students’ cause at St. Mark Catholic School Not only did you help our school, but, with youx effort, you all so helped St. Brigid get theirs back, tOO. We had politicians come, to our class, some wrote letters to us, the mayor phoned and Mr. Tad- man from the Catholic school board came to our school. You may not realize how much you helped us and our school. And Our school is like our second home. Thank you and we appreciate it very much. On behalf of our Grade 5/ 6 class, I want to thank everyone who helped us. We appreciate getting recycling back at St. Mark School. Speaking for my whole school, we are really pleased to be recycling again. Thank you, thank'yo’u to everyone for trying and caring about this issue. You certainly made a difference. Classified Manager Ann Campbell ammpbellOyr-mg.mm Anvmmsmc Retail Manager Stacey Allen sallvnflyrmg.mm Siwifi'i'li'ibune PUBLISHER Ian Proudfoot 6290 Main St. Stouflville, ON, L4A 1G7 www.yorkregion.oom Letters to the Editor RYLEY ROBINSON ST. MARK SCHOOL STOUFFVILLE Assistant Classified Manager Bonnie Rondeau bmndeau®yrmgmm Pnonucnon Team Leader Sherry Day It is exciting to think that 1 made a differ- ence and helped my whole school with something important. I realized that not only my class helped with this, you did. He told us how our recycling is back and because of our letters, St. Brigid in Stoufl‘ville has its recy- cling back, also. How do you feel about the 19 on the Park arts centre? The new twin pad ice complex approved by council? Downtown Stouffi/ille and the new shop- ping areas of west Stoujfizille. Mr. Tadman the school board’s person in charge of recycling came to talk to us. Have an opinion on something happening in Whitchurch-Stoufli/illle? Care to share it? We love to receive letters to the editor on a variety of topics from a wide range ofWhitchurchâ€"Stoujfiji- ille residents. Stouflville’s newspaper, The Sunâ€"Tribune, even printed an article about our concerns. A few kids in my class were quoted in the story. Eâ€"mail your letters to jmason@yrmg.com or mail them to 6290 Main St., Stouflilillle, [AA 167. Please include your daytime phone number We love letters to the editor A r¢ rid”! Arrrafird 3.11341”! Buslnnss MANAGER Robert lazurko Burma 1N Camp Debora Kelly (Zlas‘ified ADVERTISING 905-640-2612 u'ficd: 1-800â€"743-3353 Fax: 905-640-8778 DISTRIBUTION 905-640â€"261 2 905-640-2612 x: 905-640-8778 EDITORIAI Dumcmn [mu Mann TECHNOLOGY John Futhey HAYLEY BARNES ST. MARK SCHOOL STOUFFVILLE A York Region Media Group community newspaper The Sun-Tribune. published every Thursday and Saturday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd, a whollyâ€"owned subsidiary oiTorstar Corporation. Metroland is comprised of 100 community publications across Ontario. The York Region Newspaper Group includes The Liberal, sewing Richmond Hiil and Thomhill, Vaughan Citizen, The Era-Banner (Newmarket/Aurora). Markham Economist Sun, Georgina AdvocateYorit Region Business Times, North of the City. yorkregioncom and York Region Printing. Dumcnon, CIRCULATION SYSTEMS Lynn Pashko Duuacmn, ADVERTISING You REGION PRINTING a Dls'nunu'nou GENERAL MANAGER Barry Black Bob Dean Unless you’re one of the 227 people who show up for Stouffville Spirit home games every Thursday. Then you know about the 16 to 20-year-olds playing in the Provincial Jr. A Hockey League. The Stoufiville Arena, with its colder than Arctic temps, bench seating and bad sound, is one of the most uncom- fortable places to watch a game in the 36-team league. But you can't ignore the fast pace right in front of your face. five minutes from your home. If the games a stiff, you've lost what? Ten bucks. The players still sign autographs and talk to kids after the game at this level. They take part in the community. Got game? Forget the NHL and its bunch of milâ€" lionaire whiners. They don’t play real hockey until April. Those teams that make the playoffs. that is, Leaf fans. You’re missing a chance to see future pros and college stars right in your own back yard. And they’re playing for their future every week The Spirit takes a six-game winning streak into its game at home tonight to the first-place Huntsville Otters. With James McIntosh accepting a deal to Bowling Green Friday, a team record six Spirit players have scholar- ships to major US. schools this year. The previous high was two scholarships. If you only watch playoff hockey, the Jr. A postâ€"season starts in mid-February. Remember the Spirit’s run two springs ago to its first North and North/West championships? The rink was packed. Keep the spirit, Stouffville. Iim Mason, a former director of the Stouffville Spirit, is editor of The Sun-Tribune. TWO recipients, Ethan Werek (Boston University) and Pat McEachen (Maine). are home-grown products. Another, Corey Trivino, should break more ground in June's NHL draft. The nifty playmaker is the top-ranked Jr. A player in eastern Canada, at 46th among North American skaters. During the Spirit’s 13-year history, no one has made it to the show, as they call the NHL. You may be watching history. Catch future stars before they move on to the Show SEW-Tribune we, with Jim Mason Off The Top