OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Sports officials have a tough job and it's been a challenge to recruit new ones.
In this story, you’ll meet Craig Wiedel who has been a volleyball referee for 30 years. He’s stuck around through referee shortages and actively works to recruit more officials in Nebraska.
His why: giving back and the love of competition.
- Craig Wiedel began officiating volleyball as a side job while he was in college.
- Thirty years later, volleyball is now a full-time gig: he referees, assigns other officials in Nebraska to games and is the Commissioner for USA Volleyball Great Plains Region.
- “There hasn't been a day that I can say I don't enjoy doing what I do,” Wiedel said.
WATCH KELSEY’S STORY:
What began as a side hustle turned into a career.
“I started reffing when I was 18 to make a little extra money in college,” Craig Wiedel, a volleyball referee based in Nebraska, said. “All I do now for a career is volleyball which is kind of fun."
This will be his 30th year officiating volleyball.
"I've done all sports," Wiedel said. "I've officiated them all, but what I like about volleyball is it's fast."
Which is why the career accountant made a switch in his early 40s.
"Being around so many people that have the same passion,” Wiedel said. “It's just like one big family and that's what I appreciate about it."
Over the last few years, there has been a national shortage of sports officials.
In fact, a 2024 NSAA survey found about 64% of officials across all sports considered quitting at some point.
On the other hand, Wiedel said the numbers for volleyball refs in Nebraska are increasing.
"Whenever I go somewhere, they're like 'Oh, you're recruiting refs again,’” he said. “But honestly, half the time you just have to ask the people and they want to do it."
He says if a ref sticks around for three years, it’s likely they'll ref for many more.
Like Hiliary Vanness, a former player, now a fifth-year official.
"In the moment it may seem kind of stressful,” she said, “but at the end of the match, just playing good volleyball, watching good volleyball, officiating good volleyball, that's really the best part."
Wiedel said sometimes he still has to crunch numbers to ensure games in Nebraska have officials.
"When I assign in the fall, there's nights that I will go to bed having to find four or five refs for the next day because we're that short,” he said. “We've grown it a lot, but we still have a long ways to go with that."
But Wiedel said he’s more than happy to do it to grow the sport.
"Just do what you love to do,” he said. “There hasn't been a day that I can say I don't enjoy doing what I do."
