Who are the least appreciated, first criticized, yet arguably the most important people at an athletic event? Student-athletes at schools in Conference Carolinas say it's the officials, and they have developed a unique program to honor the men and women often taken for granted during their contests.
Called Officials Appreciation Night, the program asks each school in the league to set aside one game during the basketball season for thanking officials and promoting their importance to fans. While the idea originated with conference administrators, it has been embraced by the league's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, which started brainstorming ways to thank officials at its retreat this past fall.
"Everyone at the retreat was really enthusiastic about setting aside a night to honor officials," says Sarah Hebberd, a junior lacrosse player at Pfeiffer University and a member of the NCAA Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. "We want to make this a big night and we're hoping to set an example for other conferences around the country. Officials are a major part of the athletic experience, and it's important for student-athletes to show appreciation."
"We want people to understand that officials are human and we need to respect the work they do," says Conference Carolinas Assistant Commissioner Angela Tressel. "They have a really hard job, and sometimes in the heat of the moment, we forget they're doing their best. All of us need to appreciate the service they provide, which is why we asked our SAAC to take the lead. As student-athletes, they have the most influence, and we wanted to give them an event they could embrace and make their own."
After the fall retreat, plans started to take shape at the conference's 12 member schools. The conference decided to provide 50 T-shirts for each school's event, with "Officials Appreciation 2010" printed on the front and "I chose NCAA Division II" on the back, for schools to distribute as they choose.
At Pfeiffer, administrators plan to offer free admission to anyone wearing black and white and hold different activities throughout the night. "If we see fans yelling out something positive about the officiating, we'll throw them a free T-shirt," says Micki Thompson, Assistant Director of Athletics Operations at Pfeiffer. "At halftime, we'll play referee trivia, where we'll demonstrate a call, ask fans to say what it means, and award T-shirts for the correct answer. We'll hang posters throughout the gym, and when people come in, we'll explain why it's important for everyone to appreciate officials."
Other ideas proposed by the student-athletes at the retreat include giving officials the red carpet treatment by greeting them upon arrival, offering valet parking, and providing pregame meals in the hospitality room. Fans can also be encouraged to applaud outrageously for officials, regardless of the call, and hold up signs saying "Good call!" and "Good hustle, ref!"
Halftime challenges can be held to educate fans on the basketball rulebook, along with official look-alike contests and PA announcers explaining calls in detail. Students even suggested that after the game, officials can be escorted back to their cars and given a gift basket that includes T-shirts, home-baked cookies, and coupons to local restaurants.
"The fact that these ideas came from student-athletes makes this event especially meaningful," says Hebberd. "Every student-athlete wants to go out there and win. But in the end, we need to see the bigger picture, which is about showing gratitude, giving back to the community, and promoting sportsmanship. That's how we all gain from our experiences as student-athletes."
FEEDBACK:
Thank you so much for covering this event for our conference and schools. It is a grassroots initiative that we are trying to grow and couldn't do it without your help. We've had some inquiries from the article from other leagues/schools and again appreciate the coverage to help grow the event nationwide!
Sincerely,
Brook Patterson
Associate Commissioner
Conference Carolinas