News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Local basketball officials will hold free classes to train and recruit new referees for the upcoming middle school and high school basketball seasons.
The one-hour class will be held at various high schools in the region starting August 7th through September 16th. Organizer Luke Dycus of Crow Hop Officiating has spent 17 years officiating basketball from middle school to the collegiate level. He said finding enough officials to fill all the games in Tennessee is quite the task.
“It is tough,” Dycus said. “And the reason being is because on any given night, let’s just say in the north central basketball officials association, there could be 70 high schools having home games. And then you take 70 and multiply that by three, and all of a sudden, wow. We’re in need of officials.”
Dycus said in the past few years many older officials are retiring and leaving a void of experience and personnel for the North Central Basketball Officials Association. Dycus said these classes will be an opportunity for those interested to start the process of becoming an official.
“We’re taking guys and girls that are interested in getting into high school officiating, basketball officiating, and we’re going to show them how to register with the TSSAA, where and how to get gear and where and how you get games,” Dycus said.
Officiating is a great source of secondary income, according to Dycus. He said that it is an easy way for college students to earn some extra money. Dycus said he spoke with other officials across Tennessee and said that the entire state is dealing with the same issue.
“It’s been widely stated and understood, from Memphis to Bristol that basketball officials are needed in the state of Tennessee,” Dycus said. “But let me say this, I don’t want to be selfish, we need officials in every sport across the state of Tennessee at every high school level.”
All classes will be on Wednesday night and begin at 6pm. The schedule includes August 7 at Stone Memorial HS, August 14 at Gordonsville HS, August 21 Watertown HS, August 28 Livingston Academy, September 4 Warren County HS, September 11 Providence Christian Academy and September 16th at Cane Creek Gym.
For more information contact Luke Dycus at (931) 212-0711.
