Help wanted: referees to get back in the game

Visiting any business involves walking by a “Help Wanted” sign. Sports o ciating is facing the same human capital shortage across the United States. While sports o cials don’t wear Help Wanted signs at games, maybe we should. Nonetheless, we need sports o cials to o ciate games and keep our young people involved in high school athletics.

Without sports o cials, Friday night high school football and varsity basketball or soccer games could be in danger of slipping away.

Many things in our world are

LINDA

MICHAEL

RYLEE

GUEST COLUMN Kevin Aten, Ed.D

changing too fast. We need to keep educational-based athletics one thing the students, families and communities can depend on happening. Because of o ciating shortages, we are seeing what was a community xture of high school football, Friday Night Lights, become ursday Night Lights and Saturday Afternoon Sunlight to get the games covered by referees. Moreover, myself and other referees work high school games in New Mexico, Colorado and Utah to ensure the

MINDY NELON students-athletes can play. e fraternity of sports o cials travel to games not because we get paid big money – we don’t – but because we aspire to facilitate an elusive perfect game. As a football o cial colleague states, sports ofcials pursue perfection and excellence – life lessons that we can bring to our careers and our families.

Great o cials share a commitment to the students-athletes, coaches and families. Furthermore, we serve a game that has likely been in our blood for years.

We work every contest to ensure

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LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com students-athletes realize lifelong learning and lessons that grow from grit, hope and tenacity. We also teach that fumbles and fouls in life happen, and we can succeed despite these momentary interruptions and obstacles. At all levels, o cials are arbiters of fair play and role models for hard work.

When my fellow o cials and I nish a game, we often speak of the important lessons experienced by our young people who are building character and workplace skills. We

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