UYSA Launches KNOW YOUR ROLE Campaign to Curb Bad Sportsmanship

November 30, 2022, Sandy, UT. – In an effort to embrace the individual roles of athletes, parents, coaches, and referees, the Utah Youth Soccer Association is excited to announce the official launch of our new KNOW YOUR ROLE campaign.

Created by the Southern Oregon Sports Commission, The campaign directly addresses poor behavior towards officials and aims to correct the problem through a series of positive messages and continued reminders that embrace safety, enjoyment, growth, and development as the most important aspects of sports.

Statistics of official retention are staggering – it’s estimated 80% of referees quit after just two years of service, according to the New York Times. Additionally, reports show 75% of youth athletes quit sports by the age of 14. The culprit? Egregious behavior by spectators, coaches and players. UYSA hopes launching the new campaign KNOW YOUR ROLE will help spread awareness about the escalating problem and curb bad behavior.

Sporting organizations in other areas have given high praise to the KNOW YOUR ROLE campaign, saying that it’s making a noticebale impact, “With the signage, announcements and general increased awareness, we have definitely noticed better behavior at games since KNOW YOUR ROLE was implemented,” Kevin Primerano, Executive Director of the Rogue Valley Timbers in Southern Oregon said.

UYSA’s new campaign, KNOW YOUR ROLE, will be launched on its social media platforms, website and in partnership with local UYSA clubs and referees. Tactics include banners and pop-ups that will be placed on fields, emails, digital graphics, and social media campaigns.

For more information about implementation of the KNOW YOUR ROLE campaign locally, contact UYSA at 801-307-5150 or cbagley@utahyouthsoccer.net.