“Playing without a referee is just training.”
This is the message that Wisconsin Judge Kevin Scott wanted to convey when he spoke of a growing shortage of officials in the state.
The shortage, fueled by increasingly insulting fan behavior and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, left referees, sports organizations and teams strained as matches were changed or, in some cases, threatened with being canceled.
The referee shortage at Wisconsin Sports High School is ubiquitous. In soccer, volleyball, hockey, basketball and softball, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association has seen the number of activists available drop by more than 30%.
This means judges who work like Scott have to keep going to fill the void. As referees get into their games, they face more and more verbal abuse.
“Hostile, I suppose, is the right word.” People don’t have a filter anymore and think that because they paid to enter the game, they have a right to yell at you, ”said Scott.
While increased harassment is an increasing problem in itself, Scott said it was part of a cycle where scarcity leads to inexperienced referees in charge that would normally be too advanced for them.
No refs mean Wisconsin high school sports are in jeopardy
Linda Dahl, who commissioned volleyball games in Southeast Wisconsin, explained that increased harassment of officials has reduced the number – and quality – of referees she can assign.
“Since we don’t have enough judges and the experienced people have left, we have to put the judges in situations for which they may not be ready,” said Dahl. This may interest you : Politics is growing predominantly in nonpartisan Florida school board races. “It made the fans crazier, which caused the reef numbers to drop even further.”
The groups most affected by the shortage are junior competitions and tournaments.
“We only have so many people, which means we have to make difficult decisions. Usually college games are a priority and I know there have been a few lower tier games that have been canceled or turned into brawls, ”said Dahl.
Given that the WIAA lists 7,422 currently available references, down 19% from the 9,164 which ended last year, sports directors such as Kevin Moore of Grafton High School have been forced to “get creative”, trying to ensure that no sporting events will have to be canceled.
“The canceled event is obviously the last thing you want, so we worked with opponents to change the times and locations to ensure the referee,” said Moore.
In some cases, said Moore, his school has chosen to play games in a neutral location to meet with the referees wherever they may be that night.
Another challenge faced by high school sports is that club tournaments usually provide a more convenient situation for referees as they only have to go to one venue to hold more matches. Moreover, youth sports offer the same advantage and are often not accompanied by harassment.
Moore worked to get judges to come to his school, including stressing to fans that offensive behavior will not be tolerated at sporting events.
“I was very clear in my community that yelling or making fun of the referee was not the right course of action at a sports event & amp; billion; It just won’t be tolerated, said Moore.
The WIAA is also working to prevent this type of behavior by implementing a new kickout policy which states that if a supporter is kicked out, he will also be suspended from participating in the next match for that particular team.
Dahl agreed that having more respect for officials at local sporting events would be a huge step in easing the situation.
“The most important thing is that every official is a human being. Respect and human decency have just been lost somewhere & amp; billionr; what we are doing is not easy and is essential for sport across the state, ”said Dahl.
A WIAA official has the option of going to at least one two- or three-hour clinic that covers both field and class topics – although technically this training is not required. The salary is around $ 100 a night, with a night usually consisting of one college game and one JV game. Longer commitments like tournaments can pay up to $ 280 a day depending on your workload.
Current refs are being strained and mistreated
Jim Hochevar, 75, thought of resigning from his post, but decided to stay with it to play a part in allowing the sport to continue through high school. Read also : Choice time: why the game is difficult to deal with transgender line.
“I only continue this because I love sports and I love the community. I just want to do my best to help, ”said Hochevar.
With a growing desire to spend time with his grandchildren and a history of a knee infection that had sidelined him for a good part of last year, Hochevar seemed to be nearing the end of his tenure; however, given the circumstances, he felt compelled to continue.
Brian Marx, president of the Wisconsin High School Volleyball Officials Association, said that due to the current situation, it is already fully booked for sporting events three to four months in advance, often working late at night on weekends.
In response to the burden on officials, Marx’s organization launched recruitment campaigns in the hope of reaching a familiar audience: students.
“I always tell people it’s a great college job. You do not work long hours, you earn relatively well and you can do sports & amp; billionr; so we are certainly working on bringing in junior judges, ”said Marx.
The WIAA is following in their footsteps with extensive information campaigns, gentle enrollment periods, and working with high schools across the state to create an official class as an elective that students can attend to learn the basics of the profession.
When asked how much she hopes to ease the situation quickly, WIAA’s Kate Peterson Abiad gave a blunt answer.
“I’m not sure & billr; It will help us bring in a new generation of officials, it will take a lot of work for everyone, ”Abiad said. She explained that her worries would not stop her from working to improve the situation.
Hochevar is concerned that the current shortages portend a bigger problem for the Wisconsin high school sports community: “If we continue to run away from people, we won’t have the next generation of referees to allow these games … What will happen then?”
Beck Andrew Salgado can be contacted at 512-568-4070 or Bsalgado@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Beck_Salgado.
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