February 8, 2017 Salem, OR –
I officiated football and basketball for ten years and enjoyed every year. I made some great friends and even had Kareem Abdul Jabar, yes the NBA superstar, give me a questioning look during a high school basketball game.(He was an assistant coach) It was a great day.
Now, however, there is an extreme shortage of officials.
The Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) and the Oregon Athletic Officials Association (OAOA) have reached a crisis point in not having enough high school officials in all sports statewide.
In the last five years, the number of officials has decreased 16% while the number of contests needing officials has increased. The result is the OSAA and OAOA are starting to see games canceled, especially at the sub-varsity levels.
Both organizations are making officials retention and recruitment a priority and are exploring all areas in promoting the issue.
This problem is not just an Oregon problem. It is nationwide. It’s a fun job but not the easiest and definitely not made for everyone.
So, think about becoming an official.
~Craig Lash~
