They are as essential to interscholastic sporting contests as balls and playing fields and scorebooks. Without them, those athletic events simply couldn’t happen.
But officials, referees, and umpires aren’t always afforded the respect that corresponds with their importance in high school sports. While that general lack of respect has measurably decreased the number of individuals wanting to officiate scholastic events, it is not the only factor affecting the current referee shortage.
The current officiating shortage, while real, doesn’t seem to be either critical or dire at this point. But the number of folks agreeing to officiate definitely fluctuates from sport to sport and season to season.
“If you don’t have officials, it’s just a pick-up game,” said Jeff Erisman, a central Pennsylvania assigner who is responsible for providing officials in the sports of baseball, girls’ volleyball, and boys’ volleyball for a few local interscholastic circuits, most notably the Lancaster-Lebanon League. “It’s a thankless job. I want people (officials) to take it seriously, but I also want them to enjoy it. We provide a service to these student-athletes and schools, and we need to do our best. I really strive for that, but I let my work speak for itself.”
“An official’s job is to determine what’s happening in relation to the rules in that contest,” continued Erisman. “Ninety percent of the athletes and parents out there are good. But it only takes 10 percent to make it difficult for officials to do their jobs. What people have to realize is that it’s a game and that the sun will come up tomorrow. It’s not life or death, but some people treat it that way. Humans aren’t perfect. We make mistakes. You’ve got to own that. We don’t care who wins or loses; we just want a fair contest. When someone doesn’t agree with a call and it becomes personal, it goes from there, and it’s a shame for everyone involved.”
In a typical spring baseball season, Erisman has about 70 umpires to cover 570 regular-season games, a rough average of about 16 games per season for two-person crews. For approximately 727 girls’ volleyball matches in the fall and about 250 boys’ volleyball matches in the spring, he has about 40 officials.
“We do need more officials,” said Erisman. “I personally don’t have a shortage of officials. I have a shortage of available officials. What I’m starting to look for is new quality officials; it doesn’t matter what the sport is. I’m looking for people who are motivated and who want to learn the officiating side of baseball and volleyball. I’m looking for people who want to be there and put forth their best efforts every time they step on the field. But it’s not for everybody.
“Twenty years ago, we had close to 90 umpires (for baseball),” he added. “The numbers have gone down, but we’re starting to bring them back. Seventy umpires is probably a good number if all 70 were available every day of the week. There would be no issues.”
“Right after COVID, I’d say we were on life support,” said ELCO athletic director Tommy Mealy of the officiating crunch. “I think there has been an uptick. I think there’s an ample supply (of officials), but there’s not the depth. I think it depends on the sport. Athletic directors have gotten creative with their scheduling, and sports and days are staggered to help provide officials across the board.”
Erisman said that the vast majority of his officials reside in Lebanon and Lancaster counties. Erisman and the officials he works with use an online program to assign games and manage schedules.
“There are different reasons people don’t get into it or decide that it’s not for them,” said Erisman, a 58-year-old resident of Hellam Township, York County. “Back in the day, people would work till 3 p.m. and then go do a game. Now your employers are asking more of you. The responsibilities of work or home life deter people. But who wants to do something where you’re getting yelled at or ridiculed?”
“Fan decorum is something we’ve been dealing with in the Lancaster-Lebanon League,” Erisman continued. “The officials’ responsibility is to manage what’s going on on the playing field. We shouldn’t have to deal with what’s happening outside that. I think that deters some people. If you don’t have a little bit of thick skin, your success rate is not going to be very good.”
“I recently took the plunge,” said Mealy, who added cross country and track and field officiating to his AD duties at ELCO about a year ago. “I was a long-time coach, and it was a way to stay involved. I’m not allowed to coach in my current position. I love the sports. As an official, I get a chance to talk to the kids and pump them up. I always thought I’d do it (officiating) in my retirement, but I have some flexibility with my current position. For me, athletics has always been about people, and they needed the help.”
Officials typically make between $79 and $100 for each scholastic sporting event they work.
“In order to attract more officials, the pay scale has been rectified,” said Erisman. “The pay is pretty decent. It’s a good part-time job. I think if you asked most officials, they’d say they want to feel safe doing their jobs. That goes back to the atmosphere that each school provides. Some schools don’t want to handle it. But if you want to continue to have high school sports, you’ve got to have a safe environment.”
“When you’re an official, there’s a lot of weight on your shoulders,” said Mealy. “You’re the controller of the event, and you’re responsible for the health and safety of student-athletes. You want to roll out a good playing environment for the students.”
But there has to be something beyond money motivating these officials. Some do it as a way to be around younger people. Some do it as a way to stay connected to the sports they once played. Some do it as a way to give back.
“I officiate because once I stopped playing, I wanted to keep participating,” said Erisman, who also officiates basketball over the winter months. “My dad was the president of a midget league in Lancaster, and one day he came to me and said, ‘I need an umpire. Can you do it?’ That’s how I got started. He needed someone to fill a spot. I fell in love with the officiating side of it. I did well. I had some good mentors, and I worked my way up.”
“I think sports are cool, they’re in and a lot of people want to be involved,” said Mealy. “If you’re a sports nut, why not take the plunge? Bodies are needed.”
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