Raleigh tech startup Silbo wants to bring more attention to issues related to sportsmanship and the functions of a fair game between opponents. To raise awareness on the topic, Silbo is hosting a free event where local sports officials and community members can convene to discuss ways to better improve sportsmanship in the Triangle.

The Triangle Sportsmanship Conference, presented in partnership with the Carolina Hurricanes, will be held October 9 from 7:30-10 a.m. at the PNC Arena. Silbo is expecting 200 attendees, including referees, parents, educators and politicians.

Two high-profile leaders in the sports community are on the lineup as keynote speakers: John Engh, executive director of the National Alliance for Youth Sports, and Steve Malik, chairman and owner of the North Carolina Football Club. A panel of coaches, officials and school representatives will also discuss issues surrounding sportsmanship in detail. The speakers hail from organizations like the Carolina Hurricanes, USA Volleyball, North Carolina Football Club Youth, Wake County Public Schools, Special Olympics of North Carolina, YMCA of the Triangle and Duke Softball.

Rachel Repp, marketing director at Silbo, says shedding light on poor sportsmanship is key to Silbo’s mission of “improving and revolutionizing amateur sports.”

Silbo’s mobile app connects local sports officials with amateur sports games. Through the platform, officials can choose from a database of game providers, reserve their position and get paid for their work. The service currently operates in 20 cities across the U.S.

The startup was founded in 2016 by Brendan Szulik, a Duke University graduate and former sales representative for NetApp. Last year, Silbo gained momentum after a $1.3 million round from IDEA Fund Partners, Dantes Investments and Pendo Co-Founder and CTO Erik Troan, earning it earned a spot on the 2019 Triangle Tweeners list, a roundup of promising local companies compiled by serial entrepreneur and investor Scot Wingo. It was also one of four startups to be named “Most Promising New Tweeners” at an event Wingo held in honor of the new additions to the 2019 list.

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The demand for a referee marketplace like Silbo is high, as recent years have seen a heavy drop in the number of sports officials operating nationwide. Sports officials and referees are quitting at record rates amid a spike in hostile outbursts targeting officials at youth sports games.

“Because we face a shortage of sports officials locally and nationwide, solving the sportsmanship issue is critical to the continued growth and enjoyment of amateur athletics,” Repp says.

Reportedly, 80% of officials quit after just two years of work. And, according to a survey of 17,000 sports officials, 57% of officials believe sportsmanship is getting worse. Parents and coaches are cited as the main contributors to problems with sportsmanship; they’re also cited as the most responsible for improving it.

Repp says “improvement” is the main goal of the inaugural Triangle Sportsmanship Conference.

“We believe the first step towards improving sportsmanship on a national level is to first improve it in our local community,” Repp added. “The conference will bring sportsmanship and fun back into youth sports at the grassroots level.”

https://wraltechwire.com/event/triangle-sportsmanship-conference-hosted-by-silbo/