Michigan facing shortage of high school officials, referees

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Michigan high schools are facing a shortage of athletic officials and referees.

The Michigan High School Athletic Association has seen the number of registered officials drop from 12,400 to about 10,000 in the past decade, The Grand Rapids Press reported . Because the economy is doing well, there are fewer people looking to officiate games for the extra paycheck.

The athletic association surveys former referees every three years to find out why they stopped, said Mark Uyl, the group's assistant director. The four major factors are a change in profession, a change in family status, lack of sportsmanship from coaches and poor sportsmanship from spectators.