There are so many benefits to becoming an official for education-based athletics. First, you are making a difference in the lives of students by encouraging exercise. Secondly, by become a high school official, you are establishing life-long fundamentals of fairness for yourself while teaching sportsmanship, fairness and equity to others.

The job is certainly not for the faint of heart; it challenges you athletically and requires cool and absolute thinking. And even though it requires you to “stick to your guns” while under consistent pressure from athletes, coaches and fans, the rewards of being an official are great.

Men and women of all ages are always needed to officiate sports at the high school level. If you love sports, have a comprehension for the game and a basic knowledge of the rules, you should consider becoming an official. Fortunately, becoming an official is an easy, stress-free process.

The first step in becoming an official is to contact your local assignment secretary at the officials’ associations for the sport you are interested in officiating. After contacting the assignment secretary, you will attend clinics to learn about rules and regulations of being an official and what to enforce on the field or court. Next, candidates must take an online test to ensure complete understanding of the sport, rules and regulations. After completing and passing the exam, you’re ready to get in the game.

There are several officials’ associations across Louisiana; they are located in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Hammond, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, New Orleans, Ruston, Shreveport, Thibodaux, West Central and Winnsboro. The Louisiana high school sports which have officials’ representation include baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball, volleyball and wrestling.

As a registered LHSAA official, you will be returning the many values you have learned through sports to the high school athletes of today. This is a wonderful chance to stay involved in the sports you love, and you will discover that you tend to get involved with things that are important to you.

To learn more about becoming an official, visit the Officials section of our website at www.LHSAA.org. If you want to get a head start on what you’ll learn during clinic sessions, you may download reading material regarding officiating and various sports’ rules. Also, while in the Officials section of our website, you may also find out more about testing dates, clinic schedules and contact information for the officials’ associations.

Again, I encourage you to give serious thought to becoming an LHSAA official. You'll be expanding your resume, touching the lives of hundreds of impressionable students and staying involved in high school athletics!