Discussions on Officiating Concerns Continue at Second NFHS Consortium

Information-gathering and strategic planning to address a nationwide initiative designed to recruit and retain contest officials continued in late January during the Officials Consortium 2.0, an event sponsored by the NFHS and held in Indianapolis. The three-day gathering included administrators from across the state associations, as well as professional stakeholders united in exploring practical solutions to address the urgent need for contest officials.

This was the second consortium offered by the NFHS and served as a follow- up to an initial gathering last April. Nearly 100 individuals attended the event.

“The second consortium was an outstanding opportunity for state associations, athletic administrators, facility directors and other important partners to share best practices for cleaning up the sport environment, recruiting and retaining officials and providing an improved atmosphere for all participants in an athletic contest,” said Dana Pappas, NFHS director of officiating services.

Topics on the wide-ranging agenda included, but were not limited to:

• The NFHS’ national campaign to “#BenchBadBehavior.”

• Treatment of officials.

• The role state associations play in the recruiting and retention of officials, as well as initiatives to stave off unsporting behavior at high school events.

• The role of national organizations.

• The role of host schools and venues.

“The challenge of finding and maintaining a sufficient cadre of eligible officials in each of our sports and activities is real,” said Erich Martens, executive director of the Minnesota State High School League, who attended the event. “We need everyone: all student participants, coaches, administrators, media and fans, to support our officials, treat them with respect and demonstrate appreciation for their service.”

In recent years during exit interviews with officials across the country who are leaving the avocation, one of the top three reasons cited for stepping away is the escalating unsporting behavior toward officials by participants, coaches and fans. The other two reasons most cited are a job change and opting to spend more time with family.

“Year No. 3 continues to be the critical year in the retention of officials,” said Pete Vrieze, a longtime official and the commissioner of the Middle Border Conference in northwestern Wisconsin. “The environment is incredibly challenging for a newer official. Providing those officials with the tools to manage contests and connecting them with veteran mentors, as well as providing education for member schools to eliminate unsporting behavior, are tantamount as we move forward.”

To keep the dialogue engaged with state associations and professional stakeholders, the NFHS provided information, feedback and best practices and presented them in eight sectional summits across the country. Information gathered during the consortium and sectional summits will be used to revise the NFHS Officials Recruitment and Retention Strategies document to share with individuals who want to be part of the solution to the officiating and behavior issues that plague interscholastic athletics.

“We are proud of the collaborative efforts of all who attended the event,” Pappas said. “We hope that these events will make a real difference in the sport experience for all involved.”

Minnesota is among the dozens of state associations that have been aggressive and proactive in the recruiting, training and support of officials.

“There is clearly more that can be done and needs to be done,” Martens said. “We know that there is not one simple solution, and therefore, look to develop an even stronger collaboration with our coaches, officials and administrator associations as we further develop plans and models to grow our numbers and improve our retainment practices.”

During the first consortium, it was made clear by attendees and presenters that change was needed to eliminate bad behavior. Since then, the NFHS launched its #BenchBadBehavior” campaign. A toolkit for the campaign is available at www.benchbadbehavior.com

“(The campaign) is designed to be edgy and it’s designed to be a clear and direct toolkit,” Dr. Karissa Niehoff, CEO of the NFHS, said in mid-January.

Pappas said that since the implementation of the collaboration, there has been a slight uptick in the number of officials. “That doesn’t mean our efforts stop,’’ she said. “That means we have to work harder, and we have to accelerate more by keeping our foot on the gas.”