MISSOULA – Football season may have felt like it just ended, but summer camps start up soon and before we know it fall will be here. For this week’s youth sports spotlight we take a look at the need for officials in Missoula.
So far the Montana Officials Association has 50 to 55 referees in the Missoula area. They are still searching for 20 more before the fall season starts. The referees in the area do about 40-50 games per week and need all the staff they can get.
“There’s a lot of great things about it,” said Gordy Pace, the recruitment coordinator for the Missoula football officals pool. “If you’ve played sports or enjoy sports, you’re part of the game, you’re on the field, you’re working with the kids and the coaches. There’s great comradery among those of us who do this — we travel together, we meet together on a weekly basis. I find it’s a great professional development opportunity, as well. You’re learning leadership skills, you’re handling challenging, stressful situations. A lot of good reasons why we want people to come out and give it a try.”
For more information or to sign up, please click here.
