MENDOTA – The Big Northern Conference athletic directors met on Feb. 7 to discuss the worsening high school officials’ shortage in Illinois as well as possible solutions to ensure the continuance of interscholastic activities at the present level.

In a letter dated Jan. 4, 2019, IHSA executive director Craig Anderson addressed the shortage and indicated that according to a recent survey by the National Association of Sports Officials, more than 75 percent of all high school officials say “adult behavior” is the primary reason officials quit.

As such, Big Northern athletic directors are discussing numerous options to help adult spectators at high school sports better understand behavioral expectations from a conference perspective.

Among the options being reviewed are:

• Developing a standardized announcement of spectator behavioral expectations to be announced at each conference event.
• Developing methods of having student-athletes more involved in conveying behavioral expectations to spectators, including friends and families.
• Development of standardized conference penalties for spectators who have been ejected from interscholastic events.
• At times, closing an interscholastic event to the general public completely, limiting access to only event staff, players, coaches and officials.
• Combining contests in events that are co-ed (i.e. boys’ and girls’ basketball) into being played on the same night in an effort to share available officials.

Big Northern Conference schools will discuss these options further at upcoming meetings. The conference hopes any steps taken will help to substantially reduce the number of adult behavioral incidents at conference events in the future and provide a less hostile environment for IHSA officials.