Wanted: Men and women to officiate junior high and high school sports in North Iowa.
We are in need of people to officiate all sports from varsity level to junior high level. Our demand for officials far exceeds our supply. So, if you have ever thought about officiating a sport, now is the time.
A person can officiate junior high sports and not be certified with the state. We would put you with another certified official. This is very easy to do.
To work any level of high school sport, you must be certified with the proper state association. This involves a small fee, taking a test, and attending a rules meeting. We are there to help you get this done.
The next North Iowa Officials Association meeting is at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10 at Newman High School. The basketball and wrestling tests will be gone over after a short business meeting.
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For more information, visit the North Iowa Officials Association website northiowaofficialsassociation.weebly.com.
Numbers dwindling
According to the Iowa High School Athletic Association, from 2007 to 2017, Iowa saw a 12 percent decrease in the total number of officials across seven sports – basketball, baseball, football, soccer, swimming, track and field, and wrestling.
The pool of registered officials has diminished at the same rate the last six years, going from 1,557 in 2013 to 1,357 in 2017 (the latest statistics available).
“I really think we still see a little bit of a decline in the last two, three, four years for football, specifically,” said Lewie Curtis, the IHSAA Director of Officials, in a report on the IHSAA website. “That’s 200 fewer than we had in 2013, so when you’re talking about that percentage that is an alarming amount.”
The IHSAA has attempted to recruit new members with its recent “Add One” campaign. Curtis said the IHSAA has averaged 250 first-time registers annually in all sports over the last eight years.
The premise is simple: If every official, administrator, or coach at the high school and junior high level in Iowa can recommend or refer just one person to join the ranks of registered officials, the field would receive a much-needed boost.
Actually accomplishing that goal may prove to be more difficult.
The struggle lies in keeping officials around after the first few seasons. Curtis said about 300 officials have 20 or more years of experience. Those with six to 20 years jumps to 560, but only 400 have done it five years or less.
According to a report on the National Federation of State High School Associations website, Iowa has been able to avoid the mass cancellations and postponements of games that plague other states, but a shortage of registered officials for high school athletics still hurts in a place known nationally for exceptional participation and tradition.
While the decrease in the total number of registered officials affects sports now, the outlook is worse long-term, especially for sports with an aging officials’ population.
Laura Brooker, assistant to the IHSAA director of officials, said in the NFHS report that she has seen once-steady numbers rise briefly at the end of the last decade only to drop off dramatically in this one.
“Retaining officials is our biggest challenge,” said Brooker in the online report. “We get them coming in, but they just don’t stay. Combine that with the fact that we have a lot of officials who are getting close to retirement, and it’s tough.”
So for anyone who has thought about officiating, now is the time. Your efforts can help make a difference for many student-athletes and communities in the state of Iowa.
Craig Snider is an assignor for the North Iowa Officials Association. He can be reached at craigdsnider@gmail.com.