CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s an issue impacting much of the country this time of year and it involves keeping young kids safe while playing sports: the shortage of officials and referees.
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) admits officiating nowadays is tougher now than it has been in years past. Some of the biggest changes aren’t just how the game is being played, but how it’s being called. The athletic association is focused on recruiting more officials and keeping them on the fields and the courts.
Mark Dreibelbis directs officiating for NCHSAA. He shares that the referee game changed in 2024.
“We've gotten older in our tenure because we're not getting as many young people to come into the fold," he said.
There are also challenges with calling games.
“The biggest thing is people don't realize how difficult officiating is," Dreibelbis added.
The NCHSAA is doing everything it can to keep stripes on the field. There is some encouragement as of recent.
“We are excited because due to recruiting efforts, locally, statewide and nationally, our numbers are up," Dreibelbis said. "But again, we never have enough.”
One major hurdle every official deals with is spectator behavior, including parents.
“There's so much oversight because everyone's got a cell phone, and so we're taking video and pictures," he said.
Mike Webster is the regional supervisor with NCHSAA. He says what’s helping draw up a game-winning plan is how local schools are helping maintain positive sportsmanship.
“We have different school systems that we're working with, but most of them are doing a pretty good job, and they're very cognizant of the spectators and the sportsmanship," he said.
Another organization playing on the same team includes Kevin Broadley and the Carolina Referee Organization.
"What we tried to do is stitch all of those together by forming positive relationships between officials, doing maybe just strictly one or multiple different organizations worth of games, and work with the signers to both recruit referees and then funnel referees into places that they would like to be," Broadley said.
“We want everything to be positive, so that when we had that first pitch, that tip-off, that kickoff, we blow the whistle, we're ready to roll," Dreibelbis added.
Contact Myles Harris at mharris5@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.