Raising the pay for referees at this point makes it increasingly difficult on schools as they operate from activities monies paid at registration. The budget to pay for officials typically runs over $20,000 per year.

Proposing it for the 2009-10 year makes more sense as it allows districts to make the proper adjustments by having school boards pass increases for registration fees.

Pay them enough to BUY A PAIR OF GLASSES!!!!

just kidding. Thanks for the work you do. I know it is a pretty thankless job. I used to do it.

why not double headers in sub-varsity football games? You could pay fewer officials alittle bit more money. Another reason you cannot retain officials is the time some sub-varsity football games are played. 3:30 is way too early, most would just rather stay at their day jobs and get paid more, for some it is hard to get off work. Com'on coaches and principals, get a clue, you set the times of those games.

These kids play plenty of games. Cut at least two of the schedule in every sport and that will solve the cost increase issues.

If you asked Timpview about paying reffs they could tell you all about that

Additionally, how many parents cannot make it to their Sub-varsity kids' games because the games start at 3:30 and the parents can't get off work to get there. Move the games to later times, run double-headers (reduce the number of busses needed to move kids) and you'll save dollars on that end, as well. We're all supposed to be concerned about the kids and there is a ton of evidence that involved parents help kids to be successful, so why not push the start times back a bit, get parents involved, make it easier to attract new officials (we're struggling for numbers, and the avg age of officials is climbing significantly-- it's my humble projection that we'll be short on football officials to work all of the games on the schedule in a few years), and save money on transporting our student athletes.

Officials sure don't do it for the money, you would make more money working a Friday night shift at McDonald's than officiating, but the money/cost side of it is becoming an increased complaint and reason for officials to say "no" to games and "no" to officiating.

At what point do we shut down games?

Why is it this state has so many problems with officials. First you decline to go 3 person officials (when other states have proven for years it works). Now you are not willing to pay officials for travel to games. All other industries and business's are making adjustments for high fuel prices. Why is our school leaders cannot seem to come up with any answers for paying of officials. I wonder if they have the same problem when purchasing supplies for the athletic teams. Im willing to bet that the football teams are well taken care of. If they do not pay officials for their service rural Utah will suffer. Wake up Utah. Pay for the service or you will lose the service. Its already happening.

Perhaps high school sports don't matter after all?

Oh let me tell you something buddy.....IT MATTERS

Talk to people that have played high school football and/or other sports. If you dig deep into the person's background, you'll find great lessons that the person has learned from playing high school sports. While there are problems within sports teams, etc. there are great lessons that are learned from coaches, game situations, practices (two a days), etc. Some of these lessons cannot be learned anywhere else. I don't expect everyone to understand this. It's one of those things that unless you've experienced it, you may not understand what I'm saying.

Lessons learned from HS sports are some of what will shape tomorrow's leaders, fathers, mothers, etc. I have the opportunity to be part of this experience with kids and it's very worthwhile.

I will state that at times, there are egos, attitudes, and other less than attractive traits that develop in our youth that are involved in these activities. Many times, this is a result of the lack of training from coaches and/or parents.

Nonetheless, HS sports provide many opportunities to teach our kids the value of hard work, sportsmanship, teamwork, perserverance, dealing with succes & failure, and many other life lessons.

In short, HS Sports do matter!

As a former HS Athlete in rural Utah the lessons learned and attitudes taught by coaches are the reason I am who I am today. I am not sure where I would be with out the lessons learned. It forced me to maintain grades, gives me the drive to press on when things are down and gave me the drive to live and follow rules.

Today I officiate several sports, sometimes fulfilling an assignment, with travel involved I make less than what I would have earned had I stayed close to home and flipped burgers for 6 hours. I don't mind doing this on occasion but when it becomes the routine it is hard to give back to the sport.

I officiate to earn a little extra money, the exercise, and the association between fellow officials, coaches, players and even a parent or two. Even today I get a spiritual experience from sports and I had many of them in my HS days.

HS sports provide "something" that CAN NOT be experienced in any other form. Trust me, you take away 2 out of the 9or10 games you will take away more than just a couple of games.

Most of the time the games start at 3:30 because they are playing on a school night and not Friday or Saturday. If schools play double headers and the first game is at 5:00 and the second at 7:30 they get done near 9:00 and 10:00, then drive home for two hours after getting something to eat, get to bed at 1:00 and have to get to school by 7:30 am. I think the administrators do their best to schedule times considering all things, not just who can come and watch.

Unless it's prevalent in the SLC or Provo Valleys, the only school that really pushes the double headers on a consistent basis that I'm aware of is Bear River.

So if they're not worried about the double header, the kids kick off @ 5pm and would be home by 9:30 - 10pm on a road game with significant travel. For most of the games, travel along the Wasatch Front is an hour to 1-1/2 hrs top to bottom. Smaller schools have longer travel, but for most, the double headers would work well.

Most Sub-varsity games keep teams closer to home to limit the travel, even playing outside of their Region moreso than at the Varsity level.