Abuse is driving away high school sports officials. What are Illinois ADs doing to stop it?

A shortage of high school officials could change the landscape of sporting events in Illinois.

Illinois High School Association Director Kurt Gibson estimates that 5,000 fewer officiating licenses are being issued now compared to 10 years ago.

A big player in that decline, the state’s referees and umpires say, is the abuse they take from both the sidelines and the bleachers.

The IHSA last season conducted a survey of the state’s licensed officials, 62% of which said the greatest challenge to their jobs is the “sportsmanship of participants/fan behavior.”

“We probably have had at least 15 officials in the last couple of years that basically just decided to not do it anymore.” said Robert Smith, 20-plus year official. “The main reason was because of the abuse they get from the fans — you lose some good officials.”

Darryl Cherry, 25-year veteran official, says the mental and physical toll is compounded by the shortage of referees and umpires.

“Not only is there a physical stress, but there’s also a mental stress that doesn’t have to be there if people conducted themselves with some integrity and raw humanity,” Cherry said.

“I’m afraid. I have grandchildren now who want to play different sports and for them not to have that ability?”

Restoring respect for officials

The number of officiating licenses issued for the 2022-23 season rebounded slightly from the year before, but the IHSA and local high school athletic directors are taking steps to foster greater respect for game officials. In the IHSA survey, officials said their primary reason for getting licensed is to give something back to the community and the sports they’ve always enjoyed.

The IHSA recently announced a partnership with Officially Human, an organization whose mission is to “restore respect to game officials.”

The Illinois-based organization was founded by Brenda Hilton in 2019. It facilitates an “Elevate Respect” program for high schools, which includes digital education, awareness building, event host communication strategies, and organizational support in addressing poor fan behavior.

IHSA officials and member schools will be granted access to at no cost. They’ll also be able to share the program with students and fans each season.

IHSA and Officially Human will work together to recognize officials during the regular and postseason on social media and at IHSA state finals events and look to recognize teams and fan bases that exhibit the highest levels of behavior and sportsmanship throughout the year, Gibson said.

In addition, the Southwestern Conference has partnered with Character Plus for the upcoming high school sports season. Two members from each high school sport will meet with the organization at least three times a year to discuss good leadership and character.

Per the Character Plus website, its mission is to “promote positive character development in young people by partnering with schools, families, and communities to provide character education, evidence-based processes, expert support, and professional resources.”

It’s about time the issue is addressed, says Althoff Catholic High School Athletic Director Kathy Wuller.

“I agree with the IHSA that parents, fans, alumni and spectators have pushed a lot of these referees away because it’s not worth it for them.” she said. “It’s a second job.”

In fact, Wuller adds, she’d welcome the agitators to become a part of the solution.

“I will challenge them, if they think they know that sport to please become an official.” she said. “It’s not an easy job.”

Joe Muniz, Belleville West High School athletic director, said the abuse comes from a small percentage of parents and players, but acknowledged the toll it takes on officials.

“Partly they’re getting out because they’ve been doing it so long and the other part is they are tired of the grief that they get from parents, the coaches and from the players,” Muniz said.

Will the new initiatives focused on awareness and character building be effective? Smith, a member of the Southern Illinois Basketball Officials Association, is skeptical. He says the new partnerships will take “a while” due to the current culture around high school sports.

“Fans make it really hard on the officials,” he said.

Addressing the shortage

In the meantime, Gibson said the IHSA is taking steps to address the referee shortage by stepping up their recruitment of new officials and retaining those who are already licensed. Some of those initiatives may include restructuring the licensing fees and launching a committee to examine the postseason assigning process and compensation, he said.

“All these items will, I believe, pay off in the long run but it is a long game we’re playing right now,” he said.

Some high school athletic directors are following the IHSA’s lead. Muniz said the Belleville West physical education department has discussed offering classes to introduce students to sports officiating to begin giving them experience early.

He also believes the Officially Human program will help build a foundation.

“There’s not a lot of people that want to become officials so this partnership will hopefully bridge that gap where we can get new, young adults wanting to become officials,” he said.

For now, though, athletic directors need short-game solutions to the shortage of game officials. In some cases, that means throwing newly licensed officials directly into varsity duty despite their lacking experience.

“They don’t really have an opportunity to ease into it because there’s such a shortage right now,” said Jason Rhodes, a local basketball official for 30 years. “Years ago, it might take you four to five years to get to that level.”

Athletic directors may soon be forced to modify their athletic schedules, staggering games to avoid conflicts with available referees and umpires, or even shortening seasons.

“In the near future, if we do not replace the veteran officials that are retiring – we’re not going to be able to play the max games we’ve been playing,” Muniz said. “Everybody forgets that if we don’t have officials our kids can’t play.”

Rhodes says he does not see things getting better any time soon.

“We’ve got so many schools, concepts covered and the cost of being away from family,” he said. “It takes a certain person. ... they have to understand that it’s a thankless job.”

How to become an Illinois official

Online applications can be found on the IHSA website to become a licensed official. Individuals will have to complete a Part 1 exam and score an 80% or higher, view the online rules interpretation presentation, pass a concussion exam, and attend a clinic.

• Candidates can be as young as 15 years with a provisional license, they will only be able to officiate youth league, junior high level and 9th grade contests.

• Those 17 years and older can register as fully licensed officials and can work at any level.

• A criminal background check must be passed for consideration.

For more information on becoming a licensed official in Illinois, visit: https://www.ihsa.org/default.aspx