AURORA – With 2023 coming to a close, the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) is looking back at some of the moments that made 2023 so special.
Facing a nationwide officiating crisis in high school sports, CHSAA launched the “You Look Good in Stripes” initiative in November 2022 and then worked tirelessly through 2023 to recruit, train and onboard more than 183 officials across nine different sports this year.
In an effort to aid those looking to be part of the solution, CHSAA announced it would cover the costs for any new officials’ CHSAA dues, as well as the sport’s officials association dues, for the first year. These dues covered each new official’s background check, insurance, testing, rule books, a membership to a sport-specific association and a membership to ArbiterSports. CHSAA then offered a uniform and equipment grants for new officials once registration and testing were complete.
In the first 24 hours alone, CHSAA saw more than 100 applications come through the system.
“It is vital that we not only increase the number of officials across all sports, but develop a pipeline of new officials and retain them in this incredible profession,” said CHSAA Assistant Commissioner Mike Book, who oversees officials. “It can be expensive to begin as an official, so we are extremely grateful to be able to remove this barrier for new officials. Our officials associations have been instrumental in working with us in this process and I can’t thank them enough for their support.”
In an effort to retain officials, CHSAA announced in January that its Legislative Council passed a significant plan to increase officials’ pay. The proposal is a three-year gradual structure that began this year (in 2023-24) and will make Colorado among the leaders for officials’ fees among neighboring states. The largest increases are front loaded in year one for immediate impact and to support the more equitable and competitive range.
“The passing of this new pay structure is a great way for CHSAA member schools to send an inherent message to game officials that we value them as partners in our mission to provide quality athletic and activity programs for our student-athletes across the State of Colorado,” CHSAA Commissioner Michael Krueger stated after the proposal was passed. “This is a substantial commitment from our schools, and they deserve all the credit. It is a commitment that does not come without serious financial challenges; however, the membership recognized the need and made it a priority. There is a lot of data and a substantial number of voices reflected in this effort, it is a true example of what can be accomplished when stakeholders come together around a shared goal. At the end of the day the reality is that this new pay structure makes Colorado not only competitive but places us amongst the leaders in remuneration for game officials, we are proud of that.”
In addition to the pay change, new and increased statewide mileage payments were also approved.
“I want our officials to know that they are the highest priority for myself, Monica [Tillman], our office at CHSAA, and of course for our membership,” Book said before announcing these specific plans and initiatives. “Our goal, and what we are striving for, is to be among the leaders in what we pay our sports officials. We will continue our efforts to create new and impactful initiatives that address challenges [faced by our officials].”
Anyone interested in becoming an official can simply fill out this five-question form. The staff at CHSAA will send your contact information to sport-specific area directors, who will reach out with details of training, meetings, procedures and requirements.
More information on officiating in Colorado can be found on CHSAA’s Officials website.
Read more about some of Colorado’s officials:
- Garrett Best: a stand-out official who has worked in the profession for 32 years, including 21 of which he has worked with CHSAA.
- Brooke Mayo: a first-year Colorado official who has spent over two decades officiating for the United States Soccer Federation, including officiating the Women’s World Cup Final in 2023.
- Andrew Kirst: a deaf official who represented Colorado and all of North America by officiating the 2023 DIFA Deaf World Cup