We focus a lot on making sure a child's youth football experience is enriching. It seems that most conversations focus on either the players themselves or the coaches. But there is an essential group that is overlooked when it comes to ensuring a positive experience for all. That is the officials.

Think back to a time when you or your child had a game that included subpar officiating. Maybe the crew didn't have adequate knowledge of the rules. Maybe they used poor judgment.  Maybe they couldn't keep control of the game and it got chippy. Whatever it was, it tarnished that day. Frustration was present on the field, on the sidelines, and in the stands. Maybe it was so bad that adults lost their cool and modeled a bad example. Hopefully it was an isolated incident. But as we all have unfortunately witnessed, bad officiating takes away from what we are trying to accomplish on the field with our kids. 

Is it glamorous being a youth official?  That depends on your own definition. But it's an opportunity to serve our game, and thus, it is a chance to lead.  I see a shortage of talent in our officiating pipeline.  We need people who are passionate about football and who want to give back to the game.  More than staying involved, officiating develops social skills and leadership qualities. It's a way to earn extra money.  Quality officiating ensures our kids have a positive experience playing the game of football. It's important that our players see officials as professional and competent. Also, there are tremendous opportunities to advance up the officiating ranks to high school, college, and even the NFL. 

I urge you to contact your local association, AYF, or the NFL to see what resources are available to those wanting to become officials. It's critical to our game that this group is plentiful and well trained. Having positive interaction with officials will teach our players the important lesson of respecting authority, and keep the focus where it belongs- on the game.