RACINE, Wis. — 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.
| NASO Press Release |
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.
About the DIIICA
The Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA) officially became a stand-alone organization in January 1992. The focal point of the DIIICA is for the membership to learn together and share with each other. Division III commissioners are unique in what they do and need each other to grow. In order to achieve this goal, the Association works closely with affiliated organizations such as the NCAA, NACDA, NADIIIAA, NACWAA, and the Division III Independents as well. The blending of those groups creates a national synergy that allows all memberships to work in concert to improve communications and ultimately, service student-athletes.
About the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO)
NASO, based in Racine, Wis., is a not-for-profit educational organization and is the world’s largest organization for sports officials at every level and all sports. 32,000 sports officials from around the world belong to NASO, enjoying member benefits and supporting an organization that advocates for sports officials and that helps them maintain the highest level of officiating skills. Founded in 1980, NASO is governed by a 12-member board of directors coming from numerous sports and organizations.