Spectator Control May Dictate School Sports’ Fate

My View

With another year of high school sports well underway across the country, there is good news and not-so-good news to share.

On the positive side, the number of individuals signing up to officiate high school athletic events has been rising for the past three years. With recruitment efforts by the National Federation of State High School Associations, state high school associations and local schools, numbers have climbed above post-pandemic levels when an estimated 50,000 officials had turned in their uniforms and whistles.

The challenge facing high school leaders now is retaining these men and women — and here’s the not-so-good news — when they continue to be disrespected, mistreated and verbally (and in some cases physically) assaulted.