By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Dozens of standout high school football players from 38 north Louisiana programs were delighted as they participated in Tuesday’s Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl High School Media Day.
They relished the spotlight, nearly all donning their game jerseys, flanking their coaches at tables in four hour-long interview sessions in the south end zone Club Level room at Independence Stadium.
Southwood coach De’Aumante Johnson and his players, Jayden Carter and Nyangadzai Jenya, were dressed to the nines, sporting snazzy suits. Johnson, a former Grambling player, said he follows the example of legendary Tigers coach Eddie Robinson to dress to impress for media day sessions.
They impressed.
So did all the student-athletes, fielding a range of questions from media and posing for photos, while taking opportunities to visit with peers and future opponents.
As the teams gear up for scrimmages, jamborees and at least, their regular-season schedules beginning on the Sept. 4 weekend, administrators at the event made a pitch for more adults to get involved – as game officials.
Trey Giglio, who leads the Shreveport High School Officials Association, and Lee Sanders, who oversees officiating for the Louisiana High School Athletic Association, used turns at the podium in a lunchtime media session to explain the continuing need to recruit people willing to enforce the rules of the game.
The Shreveport-based officiating group serves 35-40 local and area schools, said Giglio.
Statewide last fall, there were about 300 varsity football teams, involving around 15-20,000 players, said Sanders. A total of 1,193 people served as LHSAA certified football officials last season – and more are needed. Crews often have to double up their weekly assignments and games get shifted off Friday nights to assure full complements of officials are available for every contest.
Of those nearly 1,200 officials last year, Sanders said a high percentage were rookies.
“Right at 20 percent of them had never officiated before. No coach anywhere in this state has a roster where only 20 percent of his players had never played before at any level,” he said. “The No. 1 challenge facing high school football, really any sport in any community, is the number of trained, qualified and available officials to serve the student-athletes and schools.”
Giglio, who is a referee locally, said there are good reasons to get involved.
“Maybe it’s someone looking for extra income, or a hobby. Someone who wants to stay close to the game. Someone looking to stay athletic and in shape after they get out of school. All of those are great reasons to go into officiating high school football,” he said.
But they just don’t park at the stadium on game night, pull on their officials gear and whistles, and line up for kickoff.
“There is a lot that goes into it. Weekly training videos, in-person meetings, preseason training and testing,” said Giglio. “In the Shreveport association, we just concluded two on-field training sessions at Bossier High School where we brought officials in, fine-tuned mechanics, looked at everything they do.”
Local training began July 1, he said.
Every official is required to post an 85 percent score on an annual August rules test. They must attend an LHSAA training session before each season and attend a sanctioned clinic once every two years.
Careers begin at junior varsity and freshman games, a proving ground for aspiring officials, he said.
Sanders ticked off four points of emphasis for game officials.
“Professionalism – The most complaints we see in the state office have nothing to do with call accuracy or mechanics. It’s usually questionable professionalism.
“Communication with coaches. Not all coaches are the same. Sports are emotional, and communication with a coach is a powerful tool that helps an official.
“Call accuracy. Whether calling something a foul, or not calling something a foul, we just want to get it right. We also want to learn from and grow when we make mistakes.
“The fourth is simply be a good person, whether it’s with the crew you are working with, the young people that you share a Friday night field with, and the broad range of people you encounter.”
His closing pitch:
“If you want to be known as being professional, accurate, and a great person to be around, you can get trained and doors can open for opportunities for you.”
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com