High school officials were in short supply at the start of the fall sports season. Now the numbers are getting worse due to the pandemic.

Heather Kursman normally loses four or five volleyball officials before every high school season, due to retirement, job changes or other life changes.

This year was different.

“I lost the biggest percentage of officials this year — at least 40%,” she said. “Like 25-26 officials.”

Kursman, of East Hampton, is the scheduler for the Connecticut Board of Volleyball Officials north division, which serves the central part of the state ranging from Meriden to Enfield to Windham. She’s been involved in volleyball officiating for 35 years.

“The fact we’re indoors makes a huge difference, compared to soccer or field hockey, which is outside,” she said. “COVID has definitely been an issue for [the retention of] volleyball officials.”

Recruiting and retaining high school sports officials is always difficult, even in the best of times. The average age of officials nationally is 53 and those officials are aging and it’s hard to find replacements, due to a variety of reasons, including fan behavior and jobs that don’t allow people time off earlier in the afternoon to officiate.

In 2017, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference conducted a survey of 54 officials' boards around the state. Of the boards that responded, 22 said their membership was decreasing and 21 reported that it was the same.

Now worries about the spread of coronavirus have exacerbated the problem, especially considering the age of many officials.

Chris Burns of North Haven, who has been a swim official for 35 years, was working at a Cheshire-Amity virtual swim meet Oct. 1 at the Cheshire pool. He is the president of the Southern Connecticut Conference Swim Officials board.

“There are some people, who, for one reason or another, said, ‘I can’t come back,’ ” said Burns, who is 73. "My wife is an asthmatic. I have to be careful about where I go.

“There are a number of officials throughout the state that said, ‘It’s time to retire.’ ”

Volleyball, swimming and soccer appear to be the fall sports most impacted. But since the number of games has been reduced and there has been an influx of college officials with time on their hands, the schedulers have managed to get officials to games, for the most part.

“So far, knock on wood, we’re good,” said Donna Vavrinec, the chairperson of the state field hockey board of officials.

Field hockey is one sport that hasn’t lost a lot. Vavrinec estimated that out of 83 officials, five decided not to officiate this fall.

Volleyball and soccer had higher numbers. The Fairfield County volleyball board had 21 of its 58 officials opt out this season.

“It wasn’t only the older officials,” said Marie Lavin, the assigning coordinator for Fairfield County. "It was some younger officials, too.

“We’re making it work. The schedules aren’t nearly what they used to be.”

Bob O’Dea, the president of the Connecticut Soccer Officials Association who works out of the Hartford board, said his board, which normally has 140-150 officials, has lost about 20 due to COVID concerns and about 10 through regular attrition.

“It’s impacted things,” said O’Dea, who has been an official for 45 years. "Everybody is pretty much working every day.

“Our assigner is John O’Dell. He’s a magician. He makes things happen. We have moved games to a different day or different time of the day. We’ve had to because of the demand.”

The officials don’t just cover varsity high school games. There are junior varsity and freshman games. There are schools not affiliated with the CIAC which have games and need officials.

And they have to be flexible. Schools have shut down due to outbreaks; games have been postponed or canceled.

But for many officials, like the coaches and athletes, officiating is a labor of love.

Jane DaDalt, 70, of Stafford, had worked at three volleyball games as of Tuesday and had two more games Wednesday and Thursday.

“It’s gone very smoothly,” she said. “The teams have been very thoughtful.”

She said she didn’t have second thoughts about returning.

“In Connecticut, we’re in a good spot,” she said. “I’ve been doing it for 30 years. I lost the spring season. I lost my summer league. I’m so glad to be back. I just couldn’t wait. I couldn’t wait.”

Lori Riley can be reached at lriley@courant.com.

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