The Next Official May Be Sitting in the Office Next to You with Francine Martin Pretty Pitches

Officiating might just be the hardest position on any field, court or arena. Across the country, thousands of officials have walked away from the games they love, including hundreds in the state of Kansas alone. Many officials site poor interactions with fans as a reason for leaving, many detailing incidents of abuse. Abuse against officials has become such a problem that the Kansas House Committee of Education even drafted and proposed a bill earlier this year to make any form of verbal or physical abuse against officials a Class B misdemeanor, carrying a fine and jail time. But there are also joys involved with officiating, like being part of a team, staying close to the games you love and giving back to kids by allowing them to play the games you love. Francine Martin is working to both end abuse towards officials, while encouraging officials to lean in to the love of the game and give officiating a try.



Learn more about becoming an official with KSHSAA: https://www.kshsaa.org/Public/Official/NewOfficials.cfm

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