Include referees among
the many missing soccer
By Steve Millar
Players and coaches are not the only ones longing for the field as the coronavirus pandemic has halted spring competition.
Officials have also been sidelined.
“I miss soccer a lot,” referee Hanah Shehaiber said. “It’s my passion. I just miss being out there and involved in the game, and I miss talking to people.”
Shehaiber, from Oak Lawn, became the first woman to serve as the center referee in an IHSA state championship game when she worked the 2018 girls Class AA title clash that St. Francis took by a 4-0 score over Saint Viator.
With the extra downtime, Shehaiber has been writing articles for Referee Magazine on various officiating topics.
While that has been a welcome distraction, she said it has been tough not having a chance to interact in person with her fellow officials and experience the on-field camaraderie between officiating crews.
“What I miss the most is actually working with my colleagues,” Shehaiber said. “You’re so used to seeing the same people. We talk about case scenarios and funny things that come up in games and try to help each other out. I miss that communication.”
While referees expect to be back on the field for a full high school season in the future, they know many of the players this spring, especially seniors, may see their final prep hurrah go by the wayside.
Referee Michelle Balcerzak, who lives in Chicago, knows what the Class of 2020 athletes may miss. She was a star goalkeeper at Lincoln-Way North who helped the Phoenix win a sectional championship as a senior in 2012.
Knowing how special those memories are to her, Balcerzak feels terrible for seniors who may not get the chance to create similar moments for themselves.
“As refs, we’re out there seeing these girls play and develop over the last three years,” she said. “Not being able to see them out there as fully-developed seniors showcasing their talent and showing what they can do, it’s sad.”
Veteran referee John Anderson, of Vernon Hills, cherishes the social aspects behind the whistle.
“I miss being with the other officials,” he said. “Some of them are friends of yours and some of them are what I call ‘field friends,’ who you only see or talk to at games, but you’re excited to see them. Either way, you look forward to seeing them. We’re not making any of those connections this spring.
“Then there’s seeing the kids and coaches. It’s the people part of it that you really miss.”
The pandemic has made a mess of just about everyone’s routines, and referees certainly fall in that category. A spring without soccer is something Anderson has not experienced in a very long time.
“I’ve been doing high school for nearly 25 years, so this is the first spring in all that time I haven’t been out there doing high school games,” Anderson said. “It’s pretty surreal. The colleagues I’ve talked to all miss it as well.”
Anderson runs or helps to run many officiating clinics.
“Our clinic season ended March 14, so we were able to get them in,” Anderson said. “We typically have a conference in July and then clinics in August.
“As of now, we’re under the hope that we’ll have those and proceed like we normally do with in-person clinics in August, but we’ll obviously wait and see and take direction from the state.”
With the possibility of an abbreviated season still looming, officials say they have been staying in shape and preparing just in case.
“We’ve been in a holding pattern,” said referee Kevin Parker, of Lombard. “So, when it was nice enough out, I’ve tried to get out and run and stay in shape and ready if a season did happen.
“This is a big change. I’m used to finishing work and going to a soccer game. Right now, it’s unusual sitting at home and not having a game to go out to.”
If there was one silver lining for referees, it was that they were able to complete clinics for the season before the shutdown.
Michelle Balcerzak’s father, Ken , of Tinley Park, also refs and is eager to be back on the field, though he said he has benefited from perhaps what could be the situation's only benefit.
“My knee has really been bothering me,” he said. “I ref in the fall and spring, and then indoors in the winter, so I haven’t really had a long break until this, and it’s definitely helped my knee feel better.
"That’s the bright side, but I definitely am looking forward to being back out there.”
the many missing soccer
By Steve Millar
Players and coaches are not the only ones longing for the field as the coronavirus pandemic has halted spring competition.
Officials have also been sidelined.
“I miss soccer a lot,” referee Hanah Shehaiber said. “It’s my passion. I just miss being out there and involved in the game, and I miss talking to people.”
Shehaiber, from Oak Lawn, became the first woman to serve as the center referee in an IHSA state championship game when she worked the 2018 girls Class AA title clash that St. Francis took by a 4-0 score over Saint Viator.
With the extra downtime, Shehaiber has been writing articles for Referee Magazine on various officiating topics.
While that has been a welcome distraction, she said it has been tough not having a chance to interact in person with her fellow officials and experience the on-field camaraderie between officiating crews.
“What I miss the most is actually working with my colleagues,” Shehaiber said. “You’re so used to seeing the same people. We talk about case scenarios and funny things that come up in games and try to help each other out. I miss that communication.”
While referees expect to be back on the field for a full high school season in the future, they know many of the players this spring, especially seniors, may see their final prep hurrah go by the wayside.
Referee Michelle Balcerzak, who lives in Chicago, knows what the Class of 2020 athletes may miss. She was a star goalkeeper at Lincoln-Way North who helped the Phoenix win a sectional championship as a senior in 2012.
Knowing how special those memories are to her, Balcerzak feels terrible for seniors who may not get the chance to create similar moments for themselves.
“As refs, we’re out there seeing these girls play and develop over the last three years,” she said. “Not being able to see them out there as fully-developed seniors showcasing their talent and showing what they can do, it’s sad.”
Veteran referee John Anderson, of Vernon Hills, cherishes the social aspects behind the whistle.
“I miss being with the other officials,” he said. “Some of them are friends of yours and some of them are what I call ‘field friends,’ who you only see or talk to at games, but you’re excited to see them. Either way, you look forward to seeing them. We’re not making any of those connections this spring.
“Then there’s seeing the kids and coaches. It’s the people part of it that you really miss.”
The pandemic has made a mess of just about everyone’s routines, and referees certainly fall in that category. A spring without soccer is something Anderson has not experienced in a very long time.
“I’ve been doing high school for nearly 25 years, so this is the first spring in all that time I haven’t been out there doing high school games,” Anderson said. “It’s pretty surreal. The colleagues I’ve talked to all miss it as well.”
Anderson runs or helps to run many officiating clinics.
“Our clinic season ended March 14, so we were able to get them in,” Anderson said. “We typically have a conference in July and then clinics in August.
“As of now, we’re under the hope that we’ll have those and proceed like we normally do with in-person clinics in August, but we’ll obviously wait and see and take direction from the state.”
With the possibility of an abbreviated season still looming, officials say they have been staying in shape and preparing just in case.
“We’ve been in a holding pattern,” said referee Kevin Parker, of Lombard. “So, when it was nice enough out, I’ve tried to get out and run and stay in shape and ready if a season did happen.
“This is a big change. I’m used to finishing work and going to a soccer game. Right now, it’s unusual sitting at home and not having a game to go out to.”
If there was one silver lining for referees, it was that they were able to complete clinics for the season before the shutdown.
Michelle Balcerzak’s father, Ken , of Tinley Park, also refs and is eager to be back on the field, though he said he has benefited from perhaps what could be the situation's only benefit.
“My knee has really been bothering me,” he said. “I ref in the fall and spring, and then indoors in the winter, so I haven’t really had a long break until this, and it’s definitely helped my knee feel better.
"That’s the bright side, but I definitely am looking forward to being back out there.”