One of the biggest challenges recreation professionals face is finding—and keeping—quality volunteer coaches. And that difficulty only escalates when it comes to retaining officials.
A growing number of officials are walking away from games due to the verbal abuse that often rains down on them, along with the threat of physical violence that some endure. And others are calling it quits simply because they may not feel qualified to handle the responsibilities that accompany the position.
But these individuals play a critical role in youth-sports programming, so I checked in with some Certified Youth Sports Administrators (CYSAs) to see the steps they have taken to keep good officials in their programs for the benefit of young athletes: