By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The crash of helmets on a crisp, autumn night; the squeak of basketball or volleyball shoes on a court; the crack of a bat making contact with a ball. Many enjoy those sounds but not everyone can play the game. Officiating is one option to remain connected. Kansas State High School Activities Association Director of Officials Scott Goodheart said more than 20 schools in Kansas are now using RefReps to help train new officials. More than 3,100 students have used the program nationwide.
"Those kids are learning the stuff that RefReps is teaching them, then they're getting to apply it in real live-action games," Goodheart said. "The goal of that is obviously having a mentor - veteran officials with those individuals, to help them make it a good experience."
There is a small fee for each sport-related course. KSHSAA-member schools can access the training at a discounted rate. It may be too late to register as a KSHSAA official for this fall, but Goodheart said starting now can set the tone for later seasons or next fall. Putting educated officials on the field benefits players, spectators, and the officials.
"Sometimes we're just throwing people in because we need bodies," he said. "That's not necessarily always a good outcome. If we're just putting bodies out there, we're not giving them education, it may not be a good experience. Then they say that was a terrible experience for me, I don't want to do that."
RefReps has been endorsed by Peyton Manning, the National Federation of State High School Associations, and 32 NFHS member states. The program is one way sports representatives are battling the loss of some 50,000 officials nationwide since 2018.
CLICK HERE to visit the RefReps website. For more information on becoming a registered KSHSAA officially, email Goodheart at [email protected].