RACINE, WI — The National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) and the Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA) are pleased to announce the launch of a new sports officiating recruitment effort aimed at NCAA Division III student-athletes. The initiative is titled “Stay In the Game,” and is the first official program to launch from NASO and the DIIICA partnership announced earlier this year as funded by the NCAA.
Stay in the Game is designed to help DIII athletes stay connected to sports through officiating. The program pairs athletes with mentors via the NASO GameSavers network, offering guidance, resources, and local opportunities to begin an officiating journey and continue making an impact in the game.
With the Stay in the Game program, DIII coaches are asked to identify student-athletes who they believe would make great sports officials as those athletes’ playing days start to wind down. Through a dedicated portal on NASO’s Say Yes to Officiating website, the coaches then nominate their athletes to keep them in the game as officials. From there, NASO’s GameSavers network goes into action, and a local sports official working in the athlete’s chosen sport and community reaches out to the athlete and helps get them started as a sports official by guiding them to the right places to get licensed and registered, how to join a local association, get training and game assignments, and even where to find uniforms and equipment.
“Through this partnership, we’re able to take advantage of NASO’s established ‘Say Yes to Officiating’ infrastructure and focus it squarely onto new officiating recruits from the large pool of DIII athletes,” says Jeff Ligney, commissioner of the Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference and member of the DIIICA Officiating Committee. “It’s imperative that we give those athletes a pathway into sports officiating. Their experiences at the DIII level of competition will make them invaluable as they move up through the various competitive levels as officials.”
Additionally, NASO and DIIICA have developed useful tools and resources to get the word out to all DIII coaches and athletes. The program provides the DIII conferences and member schools with full media action kits, including downloadable posters and flyers, social media content, graphics and full customized recruitment videos specifically tailored to appeal to the DIII sports community.
“We couldn’t be happier to roll out these resources in partnership with the DIIICA,” says Ken Koester, NASO Chief Business Development Officer. “As an education-based non-profit, NASO is built for this kind of work. Not only does it directly align with our mission, but it addresses the growing national shortage of sports officials in a unique and effective way.”
More programs and initiatives will continue to launch over the next months through the DIIICA Officiating Committee, working with NASO staff. They are all designed to enhance the recruitment, training, and support of sports officials in Division III athletics. Through these efforts, the DIIICA reaffirms its commitment to recruiting and developing officials, improving the officiating experience, and fostering respect for those who uphold the integrity of the game.