Thank you to Travis Lazarczyk for the Jan. 15 Press Herald column in praise of referees. We love to support our student athletes, cheering them on in their games, and I like to think the kids appreciate our enthusiastic pride.

As a grandmother, I feel embarrassed by adults in the crowd, red in the face with veins pulsing in anger, yelling insults at the referees. Don’t they know that it is the referees who keep our athletes safe from their sometimes excessive enthusiasms when they play? Time spent in the penalty box gives the kids a chance to cool off and, hopefully, think about their opponent’s advantage playing against a team reduced in numbers.

We don’t always agree with every call made by the referees. It is not easy to see everything going on at all times, but I trust the coaches to sort that out. I find that coaches are usually pretty capable of expressing themselves.

Three cheers for the referees! I’m their fan.

Chris McDuffie
North Yarmouth