>>PIAA Hopes for Success with New Youth Sports Officiant Program
(Harrisburg, PA) -- The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association has started a program to help increase the number of people who can officiate at games. The PIAA's new system uses a sort of apprentice program to help make up for shortages that can lead to forced schedule changes and even game cancellations. The new system lets any high school student aged 16 or older officiate games on at the junior varsity level as well as at middle school and youth games. The goal is to help junior officials want to stay on and become varsity officials once they graduate. The junior program is statewide and includes all sports.