The veteran Softball Referee Vince McMillan hopes to reverse the recent drop in people becoming high school officials in Virginia-Western. (Photo of Randall Jett / Duddridge Independent)
You call it, Vince McMillan probably saw it on a sports field.
McMillan has been a high school official in Virginia-Western for 22 years in football and softball.
He is a former chairman and member of the board of directors of the Mid-Ohio Valley Association of Mid-Ohio.
In recent years, McMillan has watched a constant drop in the number of secondary officials in all sports and he would like to see this trend reversed.
“In the past 10 years, there has been a constant drop in all sports, mainly softball and baseball,” he said. “Football is really in trouble. Basketball seems to be held, but in the past 10 years, there has been a constant drop. It is to the point where we must almost tell the teams to reprogram the matches because we do not have enough referees to cover, especially at the level of college.”
During this season, many softball matches in college were played with a single referee due to a lack of available officials.
The Virginie-Western SSAC has loosened the requirements to try to meet this need.
“What they have done now – if you are 16, you can take the course and you can go out here and make unmembered softball games,” said McMillan. “You can go out and win $ 70 or $ 75 per match by making a softball match in college, and you are still a high school student.
“This is something that they have opened to try to involve more people. It is starting to work in certain areas, but not so much in others.”
McMillan would like to see more young people or even some elderly people being interested in becoming a referee in softball or baseball.
People can discover how to become official on the wvssac.org site by clicking on the official link.
He will bring them to a page where they can find a tab called Refreps link to register for courses and training.
“There are four modules that you take online,” said McMillan. “After that, you must have 30 hours of training on the field. You can do it at any time of the year for any sport. You can do it now for football. You can do it now for baseball, softball, football, swimming, whatever.”
During the 30 hours of field, McMillan noted that he could obtain potential officials all the time for training they wish this summer.
“I can take you to Columbus, Ohio in summer, work a softball tournament in the United States up there,” he said. “You will win $ 55 per game. You will get out of there with the minimum of $ 650 in cash at the end of the weekend and you will train with referees of excellent referees in our region, and our board of directors who will help you arrive where you must be.”
If someone wants to get involved deep, he can work on the Softball USA elite program and qualify to go to the national championships or also work university matches.
With the need of so high referees, the opportunity to earn decent money is also there for high school students or students.
“In a year, coming in the first year to high school and you are going to make college games and you are going to make games in summer, with the United States or your local Reclur leagues, you will win nearly $ 9,000 or $ 10,000 in just the softball season,” said McMillan. “If you are a student, it takes place in the fall. Do you want to return hamburgers to McDonald's or want to go there and do something to earn more money than you earn in a fast food joint.
“Softball has a larger window. Baseball has a larger window. With football, you are more limited. You are just a few months old, you are finished.”
Applicants worried about dealing with fans and furious parents will learn more experienced partners on the ins and outs of the profession.
“There is training for this,” said McMillan. “The best training for this experience. During the day, a canoe will be angry with you.
“We are going to make a mistake on this ground. It happens. “
Male, female, it doesn't matter. If you want to better understand sport, you can be official.
“We are looking for young and old,” said McMillan. “We will take what we can get. Male, woman, it doesn't matter. We have an excellent training program thanks to our board. You will get out exactly what you are putting there. If you just want to go there and hunt a game check and make money – there are guys who do this. Then there are guys who take him serious and who really want to be good.
“I always tell them that anyone can take the course. Anyone can take the test. Anyone can be a referee – being a good one.
“It's not difficult. It's really not that difficult. It takes a little time to get used to it, but it's really not that difficult.”
It's now time to roll the ball.
