A dwindling roster of qualified football officials isn’t the only officiating shortage on the home front.

Volleyball is in dire straights as well.

Ann Fitzhugh, who assigns games for 7A-Central teams, could work four nights a week if scheduled for it.

“There’s a huge shortage,” Fitzhugh said.

The solution? That depends on who you ask.

“Honestly, I don’t know what the answer is,” says Greenwood coach Jennifer Golden. “The pay that we have is recommended by the AAA (Arkansas Activities Association), and that’s pretty much with what we go with. I think it’s just a lack of knowledge of the sport. You have the potential with several athletes graduating and going to college, but I don’t know if they’re in a position to give up their weeknights.”

Hiring people off the streets is also a concern, Golden said. Officiating volleyball isn’t as cut and dry as someone smacking a ball that clearly hits the floor.

There is the matter of calling a lift (hand touch), which can be tricky. So can blocks.

“I’ve had some parents say I should go ref (volleyball) when my kids are finished,” Golden said. “As parents, traveling and learning the sport, as much knowledge as they have, some of them would be better off as those signing up.”

Veteran Paris volleyball coach Wes Davis believes the key is to encourage former high school players to officiate.

“This is an opportunity for a great part-time job,” he said. “One of former players, Ashlynn Forbis, officiates in Northwest Arkansas. She’s young but knows the game. It takes a little while to get the mindset of talking with coaches, but I encourage my girls to get their officiating license and go officiate.

“With all the good programs around here, Greenwood, Mansfield, Mena, Booneville, Southside and Northside, there’s no reason we can’t get girls to come and officiate.”

Fitzhugh, who served as Steve Haaser’s assistant during the height of Southside’s state championship runs between 1999-2009, retired from coaching and began officiating.

“Ann works hard and does a great job trying to be fare to the officials and the teams,” Haaser said. “But our problem is there’s such a shortage of volleyball officials, you can’t help but see the same ones over and over. When we go on the road, we may see the same two that called our home game the other night.

“There are benefits to officials getting to know coaches and players ... as long as you don’t cross that line.”

Really good officials, Davis said, are those you don’t notice. Rather than bring people off the street, he believes former players would have a much better understanding of the game.

“i think officials being educated is important,” he said. “In volleyball, we can’t get on an official like basketball and football coaches can. You’ll get a yellow card and you’re done.

“But you have to be able to talk to them, and if they understand the game, you can try and explain a point to them.”

Experienced volleyball officials are crucial to power conferences like the 7A-West and the 4A-West. The 4A-West has produced the past five state volleyball champs, and seven of the previous nine.

“There a lot of no-touch misses on blocks,” Davis said. “Line judging is a big issue, too. I have some 13-year-old line judges that are better than adults. If you put a line judge out there that realy doesn’t understand the game, instead of a kid that knows the game, is that helping?”

As for the shortage of volleyball officials, Davis believes Trey Prieur, who assigns the 4A-West, does his best to put veteran officials in bigger matches.

Unlike basketball, where officials are hand-picked for state championship games without coaches knowing until they see them on the court, volleyball is less restrictive.

“Usually, the same people that officiated us at the state tournament will work the finals,” Davis said. “Two years ago filled out recommendations for the state tournament. I want people who can handle the pressure.”
