(soft whoosh) (upbeat music) - Welcome to At Issue.

Thank you so much for being with us.

I'm H Wayne Wilson.

In a national survey that was completed a little over two years ago, 80% of high school sports officials quit after just two years.

Within a two year period, four out of five had quit.

There is a lot of reasons for that.

We're going to discuss that with two administrators and two officials here on At Issue.

First let me introduce to you Craig Anderson.

Craig is the executive director of the Illinois High School Association.

Craig, thank you so much for being with us.

- Thanks for having me.

- [Wilson] Also with us is an official in track and in cross country, Jamero.

Jamero Rainey, thank you for being with us.

- Thank you.

- [Wilson] And I'll point that Jamero has 29 years of officiating experience.

Also with us is another official.

This is Hannah Heinz.

Hannah is a one-year experienced volleyball official.

Thank you for joining At Issue.

- Thank you.

- [Wilson] And also with us, the executive director of the Illinois Elementary School Association.

She is Nicole Schaefbauer.

Thank you for being with us.

- Thank you for having me.

- And Craig, lets start with you, and I'd like to have Nicole follow up.

There is a shortage of sports officials.

How bad is it?

We heard the survey results, but how bad is it?

Is it in particular areas, in particular sports?

- Yeah, unfortunately its really gotten bad across all sports.

We track annually the licensed officials across all of our sports, and we have continued to see reduced retention.

Our retention rates are, as you mentioned, not very good.

In the recruitment of officials, we just haven't been able to replenish those that have stepped away from officiating.

So, I think of a sport like football during this fall season, where we've been unfortunately unable to schedule and have contests on days that our teams at our schools would like to and had to make adjustments to days of contests.

So, that's been a bit of the issue in the sport of football, but I think it runs multiple sports, and we just need more folks to step in and help us out.

- We're gonna talk about how to get more folks to step in.

I think Jamero may take the lead on that conversation.

But, first, to Nicole.

I assume that the elementary level, the middle school level, is not too different from the situation for high schools.

- Absolutely.

We share the high school officials, so our schools are hiring out of the same pool.

We have done some things over the course of our organization's formation to try to help with that, so we have seasons opposite the high school.

For instance, our baseball and softball just happened this fall, where the High School Association will have them in the spring.

Again, to try to ease up on that burden a little bit of the small pool with so many contests that need to be officiated.

But, like Craig said, even with doing those kind of things, we are starting to feel some of that shortage and having it affect games being played during the regular season.

- When you say affect games, what does that mean?

- Again, they've not been able to schedule them on the days that they would typically schedule them, or have to reschedule them, or have to just cancel them altogether.

- And before I get to Hannah and to Jamero, Craig... What is the primary reason...

I mentioned the four out five, this is a couple years ago, but four out of five saying, "Oh, after a couple years, this isn't what I expected."

What's happening, what's behind all that?

- Well, I think a number of things.

You know, a little bit is the sportsmanship of fans.

I think it goes without saying that while parents are passionate about their sons and daughters competing, at times it gets out of hand, and there's unfortunately not the respect that we maybe saw 8 to 10 years ago for sports officials.

So I think that's a part of it, but the lives of our officials change.

They have new job opportunities, day job opportunities that may not afford them the opportunity to have evening time available or weekend time available.

So a number of things come into play.

But, we would hope as we allow licensed officials to start at 17, we're hoping to get some younger officials to find some interest when they have time available.

It's a great avocation to get started and have some income coming in without necessarily a full-time job that allows some flexibility with scheduling.

- What options, Nicole, does an official have with regard to... And I'll just use fan abuse, what kind of options are there?

- All of the rural codes allow for an official to eject or penalize unsportsmanlike behavior, either as a player, a coach, or certainly a fan.

We do also ask our athletic directors or contest managers to be emboldened, to remove fans who are being abusive.

We also have our own bylaws.

For both the High School Association and the Junior High Association, we have penalties in place for unsportsmanlike ejections and behavior.

- How many ejections might happen in a year?

- In a course of a year, unfortunately more than we would like.

I would say right now at this point, we are about 15 to 20 reports over where we typically are.

It may not seem like a huge number, but I would say any of those are more than we would like.

- Let me turn to Jamero and talk about fan abuse.

I'll just use that generic term.

Now, you're in cross country and track and field?

- [Jamero] Yes.

- So I'm going to assume... And Craig correct me if I'm wrong here, but a football official might get more complaints than a cross-country official.

But, nonetheless, have you experienced a fan disagreeing with you more than in a less than polite manner?

- Yes.

But fortunately for me and in my sport, it's rare.

The nice thing about us for track and field, it's more or less often black and white of 'did they finish first?

', 'did they finish second?'

We have F.A.T., which allows us to be able to determine what was the proper order of finish.

For the throws, the horizontals, the field events, it's easy to see after three or six attempts who had the best performance over those measurements and marks.

So, generally, the majority of the time, I rarely run into an issue that I face where somebody's been abusive or are anything that comes back towards me.

And the times that it does come up though, we usually are able to prove that we did make the right call, we did handle the situation, or whatever may have brought up the situation, correctly.

But, generally, my sport, I don't feel threatened.

I don't really run into a lot of the issues versus what you see, especially basketball, football, baseball.

- What about volleyball, Hannah?

Do you... And I understand one year?

Probably less than one year, right?

- Yeah.

- I mean, volleyball you're making calls from across the court as to whether a ball is in or out, et cetera.

Where does abuse come from and how often is it?

- I mean, just about every call.

Everybody in the gym thinks that they know volleyball the best and that they know everything there is about the rules and everything.

It comes from the fans a lot, every once in a while the coaching staff, but typically the players carry themselves in a positive manner, so I'd say the fans.

- So, to both you, Hannah, and then to Jamero.

How do you go about making sure that you don't let a coach's complaint, a player's complaint, whatever it might be, influence the way you officiate the rest of the game or the meet?

- On my side, I think it goes back to holding yourself accountable, and kind of the integrity, and how you want to be known in whatever sport that you are officiating.

Like I want to be known as a very good, honest ref.

I want people to be excited when I walk in the gym and they're like, "Oh, good.

We have Hannah.

It's going to be a well-called game tonight."

So, I think it goes back to just kind of your core values and, you know, what you believe in.

- And Jamero?

- Yeah.

The one bit of advice I had received from a gentleman I worked with in Minnesota, try to be a better official today than I was yesterday and be a better official tomorrow than I am today.

So keeping that always in mind, it's making sure you know the teams that are gonna be there, the schools, knowing the facility, doing as much as I can to be prepared and be ready and trust that the experience that I've gained over these years will make it easy for me to do the right thing whenever we're there.

So, again, for those reasons, I've been fortunate that I don't face a lot of the issues.

And a little background, I was moving around a bit because of work.

I've had to establish myself in different places, but once I've had that opportunity and people have had the chance to see me and how I manage a meet, I think I generally have walked away being able to say, they know that they'll get the best that I can give them when I step out on the track.

- Let me follow up on that with regard to you officiate at several different levels?

- Yes.

- It's a little bit different at middle school than high school and at collegiate.

How do you prep yourself so that, okay, I'm going into a...

This is a college meet, the rules may be a little different.

The intensity may be different.

- How do you go about making sure that the mindset is there for that particular meet?

- Well, the way that I always still approach it, it doesn't matter if it's an IESA meet, IHSA meet, NCAA, I officiate USA Track and Field as well.

The only difference, they're gonna throw farther.

If it's a USATF meet, they'll jump higher, run faster.

The preparation is still the same because to me I shouldn't adjust or change depending on the level of meet.

For those athletes that are on the middle school level, some that may be the only time that they do this and be involved with the sport.

They still deserve to have the best officiating that they could possibly have.

And that's what I try to bring every time that I make it out on the field.

So there's not much difference other than knowing that I'm either going by IESA rules or IHSA rules.

The rules are pretty much the same as you go through the levels with some differences, slight differences.

But, overall, my job is still to make sure that that athlete knows that I'm there to make sure that they have fair competition, fair start, or fair judgements if I'm working field events.

- Craig, you've already pointed out clearly that there is a shortage of officials.

So you mentioned earlier that a 17-year-old could start officiating.

Is there an age range?

What are the training requirements, et cetera, for someone who might be interested?

- Sure.

So, 17 is the youngest to license as an official and work at the high school level, it would be the same for the middle school level.

There are other opportunities, I'm sure, in summer leagues and other opportunities for younger age groups to get started, but we license at 17.

There's no limit of age to license with the IHSA and work, obviously, high school and middle school levels.

We offer the training through our association, which would include clinics and rules books access.

Part of the licensing fees that officials pay get them a rules book.

We provide annual testing to all the rules.

So we're getting all that training for the officials.

- So, as an official you have to test every year?

- That's correct.

Yeah, there's an annual rules exam.

There's an advancement level for officials.

So they start as a registered official, they can advance taking an additional test in a given year to recognize, and after some more experience they can try and take another exam that would get them to a certified level.

So within the officiating ranks, and I'm glad we're able to share this, that there is a level of professionalism with our officials, and, if nothing else, folks tuning in I hope they get that, especially listening to the officials speak to their integrity, their professionalism.

There's a lot of things that go into being a licensed official: training, and working with the partners, and spending time in a pregame to talk about how they're going to go out and work a contest.

So, there's a lot of comradery that's built through officials and working together, but I hope folks will understand the professionalism that they go about their business.

- Nicole, the IESA and the IHSA share officials is that a fair assessment?

- That is correct.

- So do they get paid?

- Yes.

- I'm not asking for a salary schedule, but I mean, they do get paid?

- They do get paid for both their regular season contests and then any post-season contests that they would work, as well.

- And I'm going to have to ask Jamero and Hannah both, you're not supplementing your income to any great degree are you?

- No.

(group laughs) - Okay, just wanna make sure that you do get some money for doing this.

But, Hannah first and then Jamero.

Hannah, you talked about it a little bit before, but this is a passion for volleyball?

- Mhm.

- It's not because they're writing the check to you.

- No, although it is fun, you know, just to walk out with that money that night and it's good walking around money, but I just do it because I loved playing volleyball.

I always hoped we'd have great officials and that they'd try their best every game, so now that I'm out of the sport, I want to give that back and I want to be that good official.

I want them to trust me and know that I will do a good job, so that they can get the most out of the game in the sport that they are playing and love.

- And a passion for you as well, Jamero?

- Oh, yes.

I always like to joke around and say, "Some people golf, some people fish, I officiate."

For me, it is honestly a year round activity for me.

- When your wife sees this, what will she say?

- She will say yes.

Yes, it is.

(group laughs) - So... Craig, what is the best way to recruit officials?

I mean, do you have a website?

Do you have training sessions or... What is the best way to get new officials?

- Well, the best way for us to get new officials is for our current licensed officials to reach out to the folks around them and encourage them.

You know, I try to do it in my role.

I haven't come through officiating, but obviously been an administrator of officials.

And I see the comradery; I see the professionalism; I see the integrity of the folks I'm able to work with in that role.

But the process is really, I think, relatively simple.

We do have a website.

On our ihsa.org website, there's a dropdown specifically for officials.

And we have a link that says how to become an official.

And so it's as easy as a couple clicks.

We take folks through the steps and the requirements that we have.

There is a background check for all of our officials, so there's some information we have to receive to do that.

There's a licensing fee.

You have to go out and get the equipment that's necessary.

There's a uniform, of course, for just about every rank of official.

So there's gonna be some expense, but hopefully the benefits and the pay that is afforded to those that go out and work, it'll all play out in the end.

- The audience probably didn't see this, but Jamero is sitting there...

When you said there was an expense in getting of the equipment, the uniform.

That's true, Jamero?

- That is very true.

And, for me, it's a little different than volleyball, but every sport has to have the right equipment.

And so the unique thing about track and field though, is you have multiple things going on.

There's the horizontal jumps, the shot disc, there's pole vault, there's high jump, and also then being a starter.

So depending on what assignment that I'll have, and I'm speaking more when I'm working collegiality or USATF, those are events where I may need to bring in a total station.

Total stations can run me... At least now since the price has come down, it might be $1,500.

The software to go along with it is about $500.

So in a short period of time, yes, I can run into a huge expense for certain things.

And then there's still the upkeep.

- Craig, you didn't want him to say that?

- No, I didn't want him to mention that.

- But, yeah, mine is different though because of the levels.

- Because the levels you officiate at?

- [Jamero] Correct.

- So, Nicole, let's turn to the question of Coronavirus.

What kind of impact has COVID-19 had on being able to schedule games, having officials there?

And what kind of requirements are there in terms of wearing masks, et cetera?

- There is a mask mandate in place for all personnel who are within a school, so that would include our officials, our fans, our coaches, our kids.

So while they are participating inside of a school everyone would need to be masked.

So there are some concerns with officials running up and down the court and doing their job with a mask on.

So that, certainly, I think, has maybe been a little bit of a hindrance.

And then there are probably concerns, too, with their own health and safety in getting back into more crowded environments.

So I think that all has played a little bit into their decision on continuing to participate.

- Has it impacted the availability of officials?

- I think that then does kind of, again, shrink our pool a little bit if there are officials who decide to take a little bit of a break, to step back, even to step down in terms of the number of contests that they're taking on during a particular season.

That all has an impact on availability from night to night and from activity to activity.

- So how many... And I don't know that you have a number in mind, but how many officials do you have and you share between IESA and IHSA?

How many officials do you have overall?

- So, last year...

I brought up the stats before I came over.

Last year in the 2021 school year, we had a little over 9,000 officials.

So that's across all of our sports, including those that are adjudicated: competitive cheer, competitive dance, we offer the sport of water polo.

So, I mean, that's a lot of different sports.

The three years prior to that we had over 12,000, so that points to quite the decline.

And this year, as Nicole has alluded to with the COVID situation, some of our officials stepped back last year and they found out they had a little more freedom.

And so with that freedom, they said, "You know, I kind of like this freedom, and I'm not gonna take as many contests."

So the number we have now... And we still have a number of seasons that we're still, of course, recruiting and trying to get more officials to license with the upcoming winter and, eventually, spring seasons.

But we're probably well below the 9,000 total officials licensed.

- So what are the benefits of officiating other than...

I mean, they get a paycheck, but why should I officiate other than the passion that obviously Hannah has and that Jamero has?

- Well, I think at the end of the day, you have the value of getting a little extra money depending upon your age group is a definite benefit.

The advocation of officiating and working with a crew, many times has its own perks, to get another friend group that you connect with is definitely a benefit.

So there's official's association groups where you can learn and grow and maybe take... As Jerome has, take your avocation to a whole different level.

So if you're skilled and you study and you know the rules and that's known about you, then there are ventral opportunities to progress from middle school to high school, high school to collegiate level.

So all that is possible.

- Well, one question that a potential official might have, Nicole, is what kind of exposure do I have to any liability issues?

Is there any question about that, or does IHSA and IESA say, "No, there's no problem with that"?

- I think I'm gonna bounce that one to Craig, as he'll be able to- - [Wilson] Because you share the officials?

- [Nicole] We share the officials.

- [Wilson] They hire?

- But they are training and- - [Wilson] So what about liability?

- So we offer some in insurance.

So we pay part of the licensing fee that officials provide us is some insurance.

So there's a level of liability insurance.

There's life insurance that's a part of it.

There's medical insurance that is secondary to a primary health insurance that they have if they're injured while officiating or on their travel to officiate a contest.

So we do offer that for all of our licensed officials.

So there's definitely... Are there organizations of which you can expand the insurance?

For sure there are.

There's National Association of Sports Officials that has additional insurance that they could get above and beyond what we offer, but we do offer that to all of our licensed officials.

- I'm going to give Hannah and Jamero an opportunity briefly to explain what you're getting out of officiating.

Why do you officiate?

What would you tell friends that are saying, "Why do you officiate?

What are you doing?"

- I officiate because it's fun, it really is, to be back in.

I mean, if you have a need or want to be part of a competition, or you have a competitive nature...

I mean, my adrenaline rushes.

You know, third set in a volleyball match and they're going back and forth, I'm tensed up waiting to make that call.

And it's fun.

It makes you feel alive.

So a lot of people I feel like have that need, and if they don't have an outlet for that, come officiate.

It's fun.

- And for you Jamero, real briefly.

- For me, it's just been part of still the educational experience.

I recognize that even though I see some athletes, I've seen them from middle school, high school, collegiate, and even above that, this is the one spot where it's still to me as pure as it can be.

- And with that positive note, we have run out of time.

Let me say thank you to Craig Anderson, the executive director at the IHSA.

Thank you for being with us.

- Thank you.

- [Wilson] To Jamero Rainey, who is a 29 year track and volley... Or track and cross country.

- Don't add another sport.

(group laughs) - He does enough already.

Thank you for being with us.

- [Jamero] Thank you.

- [Wilson] To Hannah Heinz, who is a one year volleyball official, thank you for being with us.

And to Nicole Schaefbauer, the executive director of IESA, thank you.

- Thank you.

- And thank you for being with us on At Issue.

Next time we'll be joined to talk about Coronavirus.

The administrator of the Peoria City County Health Department, a pediatrician, and a mental health expert will be joining us on the next At Issue.

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