It's getting more difficult to recruit, retain high school sports referees

Make a list of the most demanding jobs that have the worst public perception, and refereeing likely bubbles to the top.

At any sporting event, there’s generally one thing both sides agree on — they don’t like the officials.

“When we put on those stripes,” said Tom Senecal, head of the Green Bay Officials Association and a 23-year veteran, “we become third-class citizens to some people.”

So it’s no wonder there has been a decrease in the number of high school referees — in Wisconsin and nationwide. The problem recently has become compounded, some in the industry say, by the sharp decline in officials coming from the education field.

“The last 25 years, our officiating roster has been supplemented by educators, about 85 percent, but now that’s been flipped on its head,” Senecal said.

“Obviously it’s an epidemic. I’ve talked to guys all over the country, and it’s spreading like a disease.”

Two national officiating groups — the National Federation of State High School Associations and the National Association of Sports Officials — say they don’t track data on the number of referees and umpires. But Theresia Wynns, director of sports and officials for the NFHS, said she has noticed a decline in the number of officials.

“Yes, I do believe there’s a shortage and some sports are worse than others,” she said.

Joan Gralla, in charge of officials for the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, said the numbers haven’t decreased dramatically statewide, at least at the varsity level.

For the 2016-17 season, the WIAA had 8,822 licensed officials compared to a record 9,615 in the 2003-04 season, an 8 percent decline.

“They say there’s a shortage, but when you look at our numbers you wouldn’t think so,” Gralla said. “There may be a need for officials at the junior varsity and middle school levels, though.”

Fewer teachers officiating

Pat Geigel has a unique perspective, having been an athletic director for six years at Kiel High School before retiring in May, while also enjoying a 40-year career as an official.

Geigel said he believes the shift has to do with societal changes.

“The official shortage partners with educators being less involved in extracurriculars as a whole,” he said. “We see more men and women sharing responsibilities that were predominantly handled by one or the other previously.

“Because of that, there’s less time afforded to extend the working day beyond the classroom.”

Manitowoc Lincoln athletic director Dave Steavpack, a member of the WIAA Board of Control, said teachers have decided to spend more time focused on the classroom than before due to renewed emphasis on state testing.

“There’s been a slight shift because the requirements for teachers is so much greater,” Steavpack said. “They’re taking care of the classroom because that job puts food on the table more than an official's pay.”

For Steavpack, who was a varsity football official for four years, the demands of an administrator took precedence over his love of officiating.

“I didn’t want to stop being an official,” he said, “but I just couldn’t do both because my time during the evenings was spent attending my own school’s athletic events.”

The benefit to relying on educators was that their schedules revolved around that of a school, meaning they were free to work games immediately following the final bell.

An increased reliance on those from the private sector brings a new challenge.

“Who is available at 4 p.m. besides retirees?” said Dave Nickels, head of the Manitowoc County Officials Association.

In fact, in a survey sent to WIAA officials who did not renew their licenses for the 2017-18 season, the most common reason given was conflicts with work and family life.

“Professionals can’t make the earlier game times, so they give up,” Senecal said.

Gralla says the survey is right on the money in terms of why officials decide not to stay on. She said a lack of varsity opportunities could play a part, too.

“They officiate for a season, don’t get the varsity assignments they were expecting and decide to walk away,” Gralla said.

Time spent at the lower levels is crucial according to 35-year veteran Bob Fletcher, head of the Appleton Officials Association.

“Too many new officials come in and think they can just step onto a varsity field,” Fletcher said. “I first officiated a (football) game in 1987 and didn’t do my first varsity game until 1992. It takes time to learn the sports.”

Negative perception, treatment

Senecal points to what he sees as the seminal moment for how sports officials are treated now.

“Bobby Knight throwing that chair went viral before viral was even a word in our lexicon,” Senecal said. “If you were on the fence about joining our profession, you got off it after that.”

He’s referring to a Feb. 23, 1985, incident in which Knight, the former Indiana University basketball coach, angrily threw his chair across the court toward an official.

“I believe it’s a cultural swing as to how officiating is perceived,” Senecal said.

Senecal has seen the change impact his job as head of an association: “After the first game of football, I had four officials say after this season they will be done because they can’t take the bad-boy behavior.”

Wynns, from the national group, said: “You have younger officials who may have decided to not deal with the crowds and unsportsmanlike conduct from fans or even coaches.”

Gralla agreed that the biggest problem is keeping officials once they join.

“We need to do a better job retaining officials,” Gralla said. “That has a lot to do with sportsmanship as how officials are treated by coaches and fans. They don’t want to take the gruff they’re getting.”

Gralla said she wishes it were within her power to fix the sportsmanship issue, but she has no control over the main culprits.

“The adults in the stands need to get a grasp on things,” she said, “but that’s hard to do on our end.”

A relatively new wave of scrutiny made possible by pervasive smartphone video also has officials feeling the heat.

“You have 200 cameras on you from the stands; we’ve never had scrutiny like this before,” Senecal said.

Nickels has been an official for 13 years following a long career in coaching. He’s seen how social media has become part of what officials have to deal with.

“People are much more comfortable criticizing officials in public,” Nickels said. “Social media has played a part in that due to the anonymity of it all.”

Social media and recruiting efforts

Officiating is not for everybody, many say. It takes certain characteristics to handle the rigors of the job. 

“There’s not an unlimited group who would do well at officiating,” Nickels said. “You have to enjoy being with people.”

That’s one of the biggest draws of being an official, he said.

“You develop relationships with athletes as they grow up, different coaches, communities and fellow officials,” Nickels said.

Gralla said enjoying working with people is just one part of the job.

“You have to have pretty thick skin and a passion for the sport because you have to know the mechanics of it,” Gralla said. “You also have to enjoy being around young athletes, but, above all else, have a passion for the game.”

Senecal stressed that a majority of people he interacts with as an official are wonderful, but that the demands and the treatment by some take their toll over the years.

Which is why the need for new officials is paramount.

“The best bet is to approach them right out of high school, like I did,” said Paul Mirman, a 42-year veteran official from Stevens Point who began his career right after graduation in 1969 with a short break for college. “That way, they feel they can give back to something that’s been good to them.”

Fletcher shares a similar experience.

“I was drawn to it because I’ve been on a football or baseball field my entire life,” he said. “It’s a way to stay involved with a game I’ve been playing all my life.”

Despite his personal reluctance to embrace something that he feels has hurt his profession, Fletcher said social media might be able to do some good as well.

“Helping to get young people involved is something we need to do better, and maybe social media is a way to do that,” Fletcher said.

Gralla said a plan is in place at the state and national level to use social media to recruit officials.

“This is a national issue,” Gralla said of the recruitment of officials. “We put out social media blasts, as does the national organization, every few days to help recruitment.”

Wynns elaborated on the plan in place for the NFHS: “We’ve sent out emails, Facebook posts and Tweets in order to get the message out.”

No matter what avenue is taken to stem the leak of officials, Mirman sticks to his job description.

“The game is bigger than any of us,” Mirman said. “We’re just there to guide and enforce the rules.”