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 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 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 ofcial colleague states, sports o cials 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 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 take

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Guest Column

Kevin Aten, Ed.D

pride in knowing we o ered young people wholesome, educational-based athletics with memories that last a lifetime.

Sport o cials serve alongside a group of fellow o cials who read, study, watch and work out to be ready for the next challenging game assignment. We want to be ready for your son or daughter’s next big moment on the eld or the pitch, too.

is basketball season marks my 38th year as a three-sports o cial, a combination of basketball, football and soccer. I have been fortunate to work multiple state championships. O ciating has opened numerous doors, personally and professionally. My other referee colleagues and I fear, with this acute shortage, we are on the verge of closing doors for our young people and our communities. Let’s keep Friday Night Lights on Friday. Let’s ensure our communities and our children have competitive games and learn lifelong lessons. After all, without o cials, we are just runninga recess scrimmage!

Becoming a sport o cial is easy and virtually free. Once you call a game or two, it gets in your blood. e smiles and the hard work of the young people will touch your heart. Your friendship, and the service with coaches and fellow o cials will also last a lifetime.

e Colorado High School Activities Association just launched a new #YouLookGoodinStripes campaign to recruit new o cials and the association will pay registration for the rst year. e link can be found onCHSAANow.com by clicking on the “Ofcials” tab at the top right of the page and following the “Sign-up” link.

K. Kevin Aten, Ed.D., is a Durango native and president of the Durango and Cortez Football O cials Association. Aten also assigns soccer o cials in Southwest Colorado. He can be reached atkkkevinaten@gmail.com.

NOTE: is guest column was previously published in the e Journal and e Durango Herald on Dec. 14, 2022.

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