OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Learning to officiate sports has given Skutt Catholic students a new appreciation for how difficult it is to satisfy everyone on the court or field.
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"It's given me some different point of views and seeing how actually hard it is to make the right call every single time and to make everyone happy. It's not that easy," said Easton Elam, a junior at Skutt Catholic.
The realization comes through the school's sports officiating class, which has been teaching students the complexities of calling games since fall 2023. For many student-athletes, the experience has fundamentally changed how they view the officials in their own games.
Senior Braden Ruth, who plays football, basketball and baseball, said the class has sharpened his focus on game details both as an official and as a player.
"As an athlete it really helped me to learn all the little things I guess and that definitely plays an impact when you're playing the game because then you think about the little things like what all goes into the game," Ruth said.
The hands-on learning experience has been eye-opening for instructor Damon Day, who also coaches baseball at Skutt Catholic. He admits his own perspective on officiating has evolved.
"I always say sometimes I'm doing my penance now as trying to teach proper officiating due to my treatment of officials previously speaking," he said with a laugh. "I don't think you really understand it until you are actually the one with the whistle in your hand."
The program serves a dual purpose beyond education. With officials retiring at what Day calls "an astronomical rate," the class introduces young people to officiating at an early age.
"We just thought it was a good way for our kids to kind of give back to the community, get involved at the younger level," Day said.
A recent National Federation of State High School Associations survey found a 6% increase in the number of officials across 36 responding states compared to last year, but the need remains significant.
"Anything we can do to help get officials plugged in at an early age to get them introduced to the sport and see if they love it and get them around it is going to be beneficial down the road," said Donn Kasner, Skutt Catholic's activities director.
Elam has already begun officiating elementary-aged sports, where he's discovered an unexpected joy in watching young athletes celebrate their achievements.
"I like seeing when they score their first bucket," he said. "And then they can't hold in their excitement. They're running down the court and cheering for themselves and stuff."
Day encourages others to consider officiating, emphasizing the rewards that come with the challenging role.
"Sports is such a huge part of our society," he said. "It's such a fabric of here at Skutt, and so I would challenge people to get out, become an official, do the best you can, and you'll be rewarded for that work."
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