Mark Usery started officiating high school football games in 1979 to earn extra spending money when he was a student at Colorado State University.
At that time, there were plenty of teachers, educators and young adults blowing whistles and throwing flags at Colorado high school football games.
Times have changed, and now there is a shortage of officials to work the games.Reasons cited by those involved are a lack of interest among millennials, low pay, a rigorous time commitment and high expectations.
Usery, of Highlands Ranch, is still officiating, and he is the director of the Denver Football Officials Association. There are 16 area chapters of the Colorado Football Officials Association and Denver supplies officials for games in the geographical region framed by Castle Rock, Boulder, Limon and Gilpin County.
"Typically, on Friday nights in the Denver metro area, there may be between 27 to 33 games that need five officials," Usery, 58, said. "Let's say 30 games, five officials, that's 150 officials needed. Right now, our membership in Denver is about 130. So we have to double up games.
"For Denver Public Schools and Jefferson County, we'll work a 4 o'clock game and a 7 o'clock game. We'll work two games. There are some games in which the assigner might have to pull officials out of Colorado Springs. There are some games right now we only have four officials, even three officials assigned."
Officials working back-to-back games can often be fatigued toward the end of the second game, and often, less-experienced officials may be summoned to work a varsity game.
"Because our numbers are down, we might have to put an official out there that may not have the experience or knowledge or capabilities to be on a varsity game on a Friday night," Usery said. "We can't officiate with four or three officials. It's even worse at the lower-level games. We have to officiate with three officials, and we don't have the coverage to cover 22 players with three officials."
A lack of interest?
Many officials are getting older and decided to turn in their whistles, and millennials don't seem as interested in officiating.
"We're talking about millennials --; that is probably true," said Tom Robinson, Colorado High School Activities Association associate commissioner"It's more about how we connect with them and get the word out to them. I don't know if the millennials don't want to do it. It is not on their minds like it was on the minds of educators back in the day.
"Back in the day, if we did a survey of officials, and this is not official, it's just my thought process, there would have been 80 to 90 percent educators. It was those educators that were the life blood of the officiating world in high school. That's no longer the case."
Devoting the time
It takes dedication to be an official, with meetings twice a month, doing film study and having to arrive at the stadium at 5:30 p.m. for a 7 p.m. contest. With traffic in the Denver area, it means a flexible work schedule is needed to leave early at 3:30 or 4 p.m. depending on the travel distance.
And many junior varsity and freshman games during the week start earlier in the day.
"I've had guys ask for vacation days or time off," Usery said.
"The age group we are looking at now really thinks about (if) they have time,"Robinson said. "I don't think that they don't want to do it. It's that 'I can't get off work and can't devote the time that is necessary'. It's that kind of thing."
Money matters
Some say the pay of being an official isn't a selling point.
Varsity officials are paid $58 a game. Sub-varsity officials earn $44 and an official who works a sub-varsity game followed by a varsity contest on the same day will make $102.
All metro area officials are offered a $2 mileage stipend.
Usery would like to see a two-tier pay level for officials with those who attend camps and score high on tests being elevated to a higher pay grade.
"We lose money on the mileage," he said. "And I could officiate three lower-level youth football games, I'm talking eighth grade and down on Saturday, work three games and get paid $50 a game. I take that 4 1/2 hours and I get paid $150. If I take the same window of 4 hours as a high school football official, it doesn't come close."
'Handwriting on the wall'
Officials must stay in good physical condition, as well as remain focused and handle verbal criticism from fans and coaches. Plus, more is expected of them because with videos taken by fans, all plays in games are available online.
"You have to look good in a uniform, you can't be too heavy," said Kirk Russell, an Arvada official and president of the Colorado Football Officials Association. "There are reasons to expect more out of officials. It's not like it used to be where you would look at a score because now you can watch it."
Football isn't the only sport where a shortage of officials looms.
"Every sport is the same, percentage wise," Robinson said. "We are always right on the brink of not having enough. In some cases, we don't so we have to move games to cover where we can.
"That's becoming more the norm because back in the day basketball games were on Tuesday and Friday. Now they are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and that's because in order to get your game covered particularly with some quality officials you have to make sure you plan your schedule in a way so that can happen."
Shawn Terry, Mountain Vista's athletic director, said the sport he's seen the most trouble with when it comes to securing officials is basketball.
"I'm in favor of doubleheaders and playing two or three games on the same day," he said.
Usery said the lack of quality officials available to call games could spoil the experience.
"I see the handwriting on the wall where the fan sitting at Shea Stadium (in Highlands Ranch) or at Trailblazer Stadium (in Lakewood) or Castle Rock, they are looking at officials and saying what are these guys doing?" he said. "Why do I have this kind of officiating at my son's ball game? Well, the numbers are down, the commitment level is down and it's a struggle for us."
from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Official-business-proves-challenging,234510
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