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Treat officials
with respect
they deserve
As winter sports draw to a close, and spring sports just around the corner, it's a great time to remind sports fans across the area about good sportsmanship toward game officials.
The men and women who put on the stripes do so to give back to the game they love and to ensure your student-athlete enjoys their experience.
Their preparation goes far beyond the courts and fields, more than the casual fan ever notices, such as in-season meetings, exams and rules meetings.
As the average age of officials climb, more and more retire or simply decide the verbal abuse simply isn't worth it anymore.
Unfortunately, we aren't replacing them as quickly as they're leaving.
According to the National Association of Sports Officials, 70% of newly recruited officials leave the craft after just two years due to abuse.
This issue spans every sport, regardless of season or age level.
The PIAA has recently opened a junior officials program to allow juniors and seniors to work underclass games with a seasoned official to get experience, but we can't continue to lose good officials to unruly behavior, whether it be varsity football or pee wee hockey.
Being passionate about your child or team is a natural part of athletics.
Please remember, officials are human and work just as hard as the athletes do.
If you would like to become an official, please go to PIAA.org and click on the "Become an Official" tab, or speak to an official at your local sporting event.
London Graham
Johnstown
With Bishop McCort wrestling, PIAA has lost its 'moral compass'
Recent articles in the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat absurdly have call Bishop McCort recruitment in their wrestling program "alleged."
Three years ago, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Haines ruled "recruitment in the Bishop McCort wrestling program patently obvious."
The impotent Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association in complicity with the District 6 athletic directors have sanctioned a national recruited scholarship wrestling team to smash all District 6 taxpaying teams who follow the rules and bylaws previously set forth by the PIAA and the courts.
Bishop McCort is a special team and should compete in their own league against teams that also make their own rules.
The PIAA has lost its moral compass. District 6 administrators have an obligation to their student-athletes to provide fair competition and restore dignity and self-esteem to our precious youth.
The underlying question is "Why is this being done?"
Francis Beaujon
Johnstown
(Editor's note: After being ineligible for postseason competition for two years, Bishop McCort's wrestling program's postseason ban was lifted for this season.)