BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. — Friday night lights have frequently turned into Thursday night lights this football season.
"East Ridge has... I think we have four Thursday games," East Ridge football coach Dan Fritze said. "One is Labor Day and one is MEA, two in the middle of the season is two more than we had, and it's solely because of the referee shortage."
A game simply cannot happen without an essential component.
"We tell our kids we can't play without an opponent, so we better respect our opponents," Fritze said. "We can't play without referees, we need to respect referees, I think there needs to be more respect."
Coaches can coach that kind of respectful behavior in the players, but some things, are just out of their control.
"The horrific things you hear about these parents, over nothing," Marcus Harris, football coach at Breck said. "This game is not getting you fed. It is ugh! So pitiful."
"It used to be great to be an official," Harris continued. "People respected you. Now, is it worth going out there for my few hours and getting heckled? And screamed at while walking to my car, getting abused? I don't know."
Plus, coaches also cannot deny that there's life outside of the field.
"Officials that are older are starting to realize that their time is precious as well," North High School football coach Charles Adams said. "And I can't do nothing but agree with them on that. I just think the biggest thing, is like with any profession, recruiting more talent, and more and younger people to be involved."
That, on top of a promise of better pay and respectful treatment, is what Minnesota State High School League's Associate Director Bob Madison sees as a dynamic solution to the persistent shortage.
"We have to make sure that we (have) incentive (for) people to become officials, and it can't just happen at the high school level, we need them at the youth level," Madison said.
The MSHSL is hosting a virtual Officiating Recruitment Forum Thursday at 7 p.m. For more information, click here.
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