KSOA Recruiting Efforts Update

One of the primary concerns of the Kansas Sports Officials Association from its inception has been to address the sports official shortage through various recruiting efforts. Below is an update outlining the recruiting approach KSOA is beginning to take as well as opportunities for members to get involved in this effort. Here are the main points that will be discussed in the remainder of the email:

• A New Official Intake plan helps bring new officials into the craft, walking them through their second year

• A recruiting tool you can print and use now

• Directions on how to best utilize the "Getting Started" form on the website

• List of a variety of ways for you to get actively involved in KSOA's recruiting efforts

Your buy-in to the KSOA has helped bring these opportunities to fruition, putting us on a good path to ensure future sporting events will have well trained officials.

---

Intaking New Officials

It can be difficult getting started as a sports official, especially if you don't have a close friend or connection already in the industry. KSOA wants to walk with new officials through registration, certification, training and those ever scary first few games!  Below is a link to an outline of our New Official Intake Plan. This plan aims to provide a support system for an official from the moment they express interest in becoming an official through their second year of officiating. We recognize that timeliness of replies from our membership committee and sport specific committees as well as providing mentorship opportunities and in-game evaluations will be essential in helping these individuals to succeed. If you're interested in helping with this intake process, please email the board.

CLICK HERE to access the New Official Intake Plan.

---

Recruiting Tool

We've put together the recruiting tool below that you can use to help prospective officials get started. Email the board if you would like 4 per page for easy printing.

---

Getting Started Form

On our website, the Get Started in Officiating portion provides a landing page for individuals wanting to get started as a referee/umpire. Here we invite individuals to complete our "Get Started in Officiating" form so we have the chance to follow up with them.  You might be in conversation with someone who is ready to roll just needs to be contacted by our membership committee and the sport specific committee of their sport(s) of interest. If this is the case, feel free to get out your phone and input their information directly into the form. KSOA will take care of the rest! To access the Get Started in Officiating form directly, CLICK HERE.

---

Ways to Get Involved

Below is a list of opportunities of how you can get involved in KSOA's recruiting efforts. If interested, please email the board at info@ksoasports.org.

• Share high quality photos of yourself officiating

• Hand out the above recruiting tool to prospective officials

• Mentor a new official

• If you are handy with a camera, KSOA is in need of high quality photos and videos of our members working

• Work with your sport specific committee leaders for sport specific recruiting efforts

• Donate new or gently used gear

• Sponsor a new official's KSHSAA, KSOA or youth association fees

• Join the KSOA marketing and membership committee

• Assist in brainstorming and operating social media accounts

Membership Update

Members,

As of today, 225 officials have signed up as members of KSOA.  For those of you that have signed up, we want to say thank you!  We appreciate your commitment to officiating and KSOA.

Tomorrow we will be contacting members about an open position on the board of directors.  A description of this position will be included and any member in good standing is invited to apply.  

There will also be opportunities for members to join committees (membership, social, marketing and advertising).  Details for these committees will be coming tomorrow as well.

We are also planning a social event for June 30th from 4:00 to 7:00.  Planning is underway and we will have more information to you by June 15th.  June is a big month and we are excited about welcoming new members to KSOA and the continued growth of our association.

Nancy Tooley, KSOA board member

The KSOA Vision

My Why.

I love officiating!  I love being associated with officials!  It is a noble, humble and critical pursuit. Games have more legitimacy when an official is present.  It takes a special individual to choose this path and make this commitment.  I like being associated with individuals that have this type of character.

A key word here is associated.  When like-minded people decide to associate they combine the inherent wisdom, power and authority of individual members.  This choice allows the individual to become part of something recognizable, to become respected, to elevate the profile of the group as a whole and to further deepen that connection with, and among, like-minded individuals.

I have a vision that KSOA will allow for this opportunity.  The pooling of individual officials in KSOA will allow us to create educational, training, evaluation and socializing opportunities throughout the sports represented.  I believe this enhances and works, in conjunction, with the excellent basic resources KSHSAA provides. KSOA will elevate our members. I have a vision that it will mean that members of KSOA are known for doing just a little bit more as an official.  I believe that KSOA will be a resource for young or new people choosing this pursuit; it will be more than just throwing a rookie out on a field, court, or mat. KSOA will be a place to provide support and opportunity. We will become an association that can gather, have fun and recognize our members for their commitment. We will celebrate our history.

I also look at this through the lens of the outside work experience.  Most jobs are supported by an association of some kind. Lawyers, doctors, accountants, engineers, sales professionals, teachers, fireman, farmers, police officers, nurses, etc.  All these have professional associations that provide the same things being proposed by KSOA. Why is that? It is because these associations provide an opportunity to better the individual and the profession.

I know that the Board shares this vision.  John Dehan shares this vision. And, I know that many of you share this vision.  It is what we have been working to prepare over the past many months.   It gives me great hope about the future of this endeavor.

I realize some of this vision may be lofty.  I also realize KSOA hasn’t fulfilled these things, YET!!! Every new idea has to have a start. This is ours, and I hope that “my reason why” might inspire you to join and help us build a shared vision together.

All the best,

Jack Messer, President