The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) and Officially Human are excited to announce an expanded partnership during the 2024-25 school year.

Officially Human, an organization whose mission is to “restore respect to game officials and recognize them as authorities on the fields and courts”, first partnered with the IHSA during the 2023-24 school term. The second year of the partnership will include providing access to the Officially Human Elevate Respect Course for all IHSA coaches, as well as providing all IHSA schools with the ability to utilize Officially Human’s PSAs and Media Kit.

“The IHSA has seen an increase in the number of licensed officials over the past few years, and we believe that is due in part to partnering with groups like Officially Human,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “A survey of IHSA Officials in 2023 showed that the prevailing reason officials leave the vocation is due to the poor sportsmanship shown to officials. To ensure there are enough officials to cover the games that over 300,000 high school students in Illinois annually participate in, it’s obvious that more needs to be done. We believe that our partnership with Officially Human has and will continue to be a key component in this turnaround.”

Officially Human was founded by Brenda Hilton, who has spent over 23 years in college athletics working with sports officials from the mid-majors to the highest level of Division I. The Lombard, Illinois-based organization was founded in 2019 to restore respect to, and positive treatment of, sport officials through increased education and communication to all stakeholders (administrators, coaches, athletes, and fans). Officially Human is the leader in addressing the growing crisis in officiating that touches every sport, official, and level of competition. Officially Human offers tailored solutions to athletic host organizations of all sizes that improve the stakeholder experience at each of their sporting competitions. The comprehensive solutions package includes digital education, awareness building, event host communication strategies, and organizational support in addressing poor fan behavior.

“It is great to see this coordinated effort between recruitment, retention, and treatment of officials,” said Hilton. “The IHSA has done a great job placing emphasis on all three areas and will continue to see success. This partnership renewal with updated digital content will continue to allow all parents, coaches, fans and athletes see that working together all parties will benefit from positive change.”

For the 2023-24 school year, the Illinois High School Association distributed approximately 19,300 licenses to over 11,500 individuals, representing an increase of over 4,000 and 1,800, respectively, since 2021-22. In a survey to all IHSA licensed officials in early 2023, 45% percent of the respondents indicated the primary reason they most enjoy officiating is the opportunity to “give back”. In the same survey, though, 62% percent said “sportsmanship of participants/fan behavior” is the greatest challenge officials face.

“Officials are humans too, and I think people lose sight of that sometimes,” said IHSA Director of Officiating Services Kurt Gibson. “Officials have careers, live in the same communities, attend the same churches, shop at the same stores, and eat at the same restaurants as others. Treating officials with the same respect, whether out in the community or on the court, field, pitch, pool, track, diamond, etc., as any other community member is something we should all be able to do. This elevation of respect towards officials can, and needs to, start at the individual level.”

As the IHSA officiating survey results show, officials, by nature, are giving individuals, but they feel the increasing negative behavior exhibited at high school sporting events is not worth remaining in the officiating community.  ‘Elevating Respect’ by both players, coaches, fans – and officials – is necessary, and Officially Human has a number of available resources all those groups would benefit from viewing at www.officiallyhuman.com.

The IHSA plans to include a number of action items surrounding its partnership with Officially Human, including working together to recognize and support officials during the regular and post-season via social media and at IHSA state finals.

“Everyone has a part to play in making interscholastic athletics the successful laboratory it is,” said Anderson. “High school sports teach untold skills that participants use throughout life, and it’s the lessons learned while participating with peers that shape lives. Victory and defeat are two of those lessons, but learning how to handle both of those outcomes is the greater goal.”