Notes, quotes and a thought or two…
This past week, I ran into Shoe Carnival in Meridian to see if they had a pair of turf shoes for baseball.
I noticed one of the clerks looked familiar. It ended up being a veteran official and of course I engaged him in conversation.
One of the things that I have noticed is that the officials aren’t getting any younger. This particular guy has been calling 40 years and is the senior official in the area.
He said that young people simply aren’t getting into the sport these days because they see what officials have to put up with at games.
I’ve had one coach tell me they think this is a severe problem. Because here’s the thing, if you don’t have officials, you don’t have games. This veteran coach says if something doesn’t happen soon, schools could be forced to close programs in the next 10 years, especially in the private schools. I hope it doesn’t come to this but don’t really what’s going to change the tide in this area.
I understand why younger guys aren’t getting into the game. A lot of times, they have young kids at home and want to spend time with their kids. And then, officiating is one of those things that can be hard to get into. Finding out how to get certified is a complicated process. I suggest the MHSAA and MAIS spend a little money and get to recruiting before this becomes a bigger problem than it already is.
Now that’s young
I was in Sam’s in Meridian this past week and ran into Newton County boys’ basketball coach Steve Harber, who appeared to be buying items for the concession stand.
I stopped and talked with Coach Harber for a minute and told him I appreciated him sending me his stuff this year. The Cougars are struggling on the hardwood with just three wins against 16 losses.
Trying to be encouraging, I told Coach Harber that I thought his team had improve a lot this season and looked like they were still playing hard.
Harber sort of chucked and said thanks. Then he told me that recently they were doing a team fundraiser where they sold cases of Coke products. Usually his teams help deliver those to patrons but when he asked who could help with that, no one lifted a hand.
“I didn’t have one single player who had a driver’s license. That’s how young we are. Nobody could help because none of them can drive. I don’t know if I’ve ever had that before.”
I can say with all certainty that Coach Harber will get the Cougars going. While the wins aren’t coming, the Cougars are getting plenty of experience and are getting better. The good part is they will all be back next year and the one after that. Hang in there, coach. Better times are on the way.
Robbie Robertson is the sports editor for The Newton County Appeal. You can reach him at rrobertson12811@yahoo.com
