(Letters to the Editor do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishing staff of the Lincoln Parish Journal.)
Lincoln Parish and many surrounding areas throughout our region are in the midst of a severe shortage of high school sports officials, whether it’s football, basketball, baseball, or softball.
The main reasons for this dilemma across our region and the country are poor sportsmanship by fans, coaches and players, aging population with officials, and the lack of competitive pay. Average age of a high school official is 57 nationwide. Since 2021, the United States has lost 35,000 registered high school officials.
But I like to be positive, and it’s been a fraternity for me umpiring, and I have made some great friends through the process. In just my 20-year experience, I’ve been fortunate to umpire a Little League Championship with President George Bush in attendance (even got a chance to meet him), multiple playoffs and high school championship games. I recently reached the 1000-games milestone (I have umpired in five different states).
With baseball coming up this spring, only 25 guys are currently registered to umpire on the high school level in our area, and we cover 21 schools in the Ruston Association. For more information on becoming a high school official, contact rustonumps@gmail.com.
Will Lancaster (Ruston resident)
