Rural areas of Tennessee dealing with a football referee shortage

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It is a time-honored custom on Tennessee Friday nights. Highschool soccer groups throughout the state, compete beneath the lights in entrance of tons of of followers. However behind the scenes, NewsChannel 5 has realized it is turning into more durable to recruit key positions, important to having a good sport — referees.

Greg Morgan is a frontrunner with the Center Tennessee Soccer Officers Affiliation and has worn the white hat for many years.

“Friday night time is king for soccer in Tennessee,” mentioned Morgan.

He says, due to Nashville’s inhabitants development, our area has sufficient referees to take the sector.

“We’ve obtained lots of people which have moved in from different states into the Nashville space, that officiated the place they lived beforehand so that they’ve joined our affiliation,” mentioned Morgan.

However the remainder of the state is a a lot completely different story.

“Within the extra rural areas, that’s the place we’re actually struggling within the state of Tennessee,” he mentioned.

TSSAA is the governing physique of highschool athletics and would not wish to should cancel video games, so that they’re getting artistic. “We’ve moved some video games from Friday to Thursdays,” mentioned Morgan.

“In Nashville, we’ll usually have 4-5 crews each Friday night time to a different space to cowl video games that different Associations don’t have the numbers to cowl.”

Ultimately, they hope to recruit folks conversant in working the sector.

“We even have a coverage the place we go round to completely different excessive faculties and recruit gamers — saying whenever you get accomplished enjoying come be an official,” he mentioned.

This comes as each sector appears to battle with hiring today, they usually do not should take care of unruly followers.

“It’s a must to have a thick pores and skin. Persons are going to yell. You simply should recover from it,” mentioned Morgan.

However Greg had a reasonably comparable reply for why he continues on.

“These guys are my mates. It’s the relationships and the friendships that you just make,” he mentioned.

He hopes, you probably have what it takes, and look good in stripes, you will develop into certainly one of his mates too.

In case you are concerned with coaching to develop into a TSSAA referee, click on right here: https://tssaa.org/officials-registration

For extra data on the Center Tennessee Soccer Officers Affiliation, click on right here: https://www.mtfoa.org/