Sports Officiating is a new, one-semester long physical education class that runs during sixth hour and allows students to get their reffing license in various sports. This year the students can get their license in soccer, softball, baseball, basketball, and volleyball. However, Coach Hyde hopes to add more classes in the following years so that students have more opportunities to get their licenses in other sports. The class is open to all upperclassmen who had a B or higher in their freshman and sophomore physical education classes.
Kadence Pfiffner said, “I thought it was going to be an easy gym class, and we get there and he [Coach Hyde] goes, ‘Oh it’s AP gym.’ But I felt like it would be fun to have a reffing license because of more job opportunities, and something you can say on your college application that I don’t think many people can.”
Coach Hyde worked with the school to figure out a new gym class that was different from the other classes they offered but could still impact students outside of their academic careers.
Coach Hyde said, “When we started to look at how we could get them involved in athletics, we realized there is a huge shortage of officials, so we thought this would be a good idea to allow students to get away from that normal part-time job and provide them with a certification in whatever unit we may be doing. Therefore, they can go out and make a buck off of officiating sports, so we’re kind of helping the community as well in getting us more officials.”
The class begins with a couple of classroom days to get the students familiar with the rules of the sport they are going into. Along with this they learn some of the things officials do during the games, such as hand signs, signals, and when they use their whistles. After they are done in the classroom they begin playing the sport and they try to make it as competitive as possible, so that the officials begin to understand how the game works, and what calls to make.
Students in the 6th hour Sports Officiating class get hands-on practice – Photo courtesy of Bailee Pfiffner
Two students officiate every day, where four games are played and the two students go back and forth between each game practicing their officiating skills. This year, the sports officiating class is working with the Junior and Senior boys’ classes, so when it’s testing day the students will officiate the boys’ class in order to get their certificate in that sport.
Pfiffner said, “I think [the class] will build your confidence because he has other students come up to you and chirp at you, and you have to stand your ground and know that you made the right call even if you are second-guessing your call. It’s really fun, and it opens up a lot of job opportunities, especially as teenagers, so you can make your schedule around all of your activities.”
Students can have fun with friends while still putting in extra effort to play the game. They also build good teamwork skills and allow themselves to get out of their comfort zone while doing something different.
Grace Harty echoes the idea, “I would recommend it because it helps you build your confidence. After all, you have to make calls that may feel uncomfortable or people will start to argue with you. So it helps you stand up for yourself.”
The students get graded on a variety of different things, not just their officiating days. Coach Hyde explains, “They get graded on their activity level in class, being engaged, and the other portion comes from their officiating grade. So they get graded on their hand signals, how they conduct themselves professionally, and what the pace of the game is like.”
Teaching sports officiating comes with the experience of possibly watching a student make their first goal, get their first home run, make their first basket, or see them excel at something they have been trying to get the hang of for a long time.
Students practice officiating for a soccer match – Photo courtesy of Bailee Pfiffner
Coach Hyde said, “[My favorite part of the class] overall is just the type of kids that are in here; You got kids that love athletics, that want to be in PE, that are extremely active, and just a bunch of high character kids in here that kind of creates an awesome classroom culture for them where they are not afraid to make those mistakes and have learning experiences.”
Pfiffner adds, “Whistles! Whistles are my favorite part, and it’s a small class, so I feel more connected to these people. I don’t feel intimidated. Everyone feels the same about the class because we are the guinea pigs.”
Harty concludes, “My favorite part of the class is being able to play sports at a competitive level [while] still [being] pretty laid back.”
The students rely on each other to help them get back up after they fall down, and know they have a good community of people around them. Everyone works together to make the class an enjoyable place to be in.
Harty said, “I want people to know that he [Coach Hyde] is very understanding and helpful when we are officiating because he knows that all of us are learning these new skills so he knows that there are gonna be mistakes.”
Pfiffner said, “We love Coach Hyde, he’s the funniest guy ever, and he is like the perfect gym teacher for this class, cause he is always laughing at us but with us.”
