THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Despite push from media, officials still a rare species

Three weeks later, the situation is somewhat encouraging, but still dire.

A recent Press story, as well as a social media blast, alerted the public to a shortage of officials in all sports — football, volleyball, soccer, basketball, wrestling, baseball and softball — most importantly in North Idaho, but also nationwide.

Because of the shortage, some events have been moved to other days when more officials were available, and some events (mostly sub-varsity events) had to be canceled.

This has been evident in spring sports, with baseball and softball games being moved right and left.

And at this rate, it will be noticed this fall in football, where not everybody might be able to play on Friday nights — some games may be moved to Thursday nights, others possibly to Saturdays.

In addition to informing, the intent was also to perhaps nudge a few people who may have been considering becoming an official to take the next step, go through the training and end up helping out on a sideline (or a court, or a mat, or a field) near you.

THE UPDATE, from a few of the commissioners of each sport in North Idaho, whose job it is to assign officials to events:

“I have had a lot of feedback in the community,” District 1 football commissioner Roger Stewart said. “The great thing is more people are aware of the situation and issues. For football, I received five inquiries after the article, and three of those have taken the next step of sending me their information to be included in our system. We shall see how many actually show up, but we will follow up with them to get training started.”

There was this from volleyball commissioner Rayna Longstreet:

“I had lots of people comment about the article/shortage, but only four official inquiries about signing up (by email) so far,” she said. “I've also had two current officials tell me they won't be returning this year. One moved out of the area and one is returning to coaching. You definitely got the word out, but we are still in trouble.”

District 1 baseball official Josh Behrens sounded this cautionary tale:

“I had a few people comment on the article and say, ‘had no idea it was that bad,’” he said. “But other than that, nobody has reached out saying they want to be an official. Officiating world is still in trouble. Haven't seen any changes yet. Hope it's coming.”

Then, there’s this from District 1 softball commissioner Ted Yurek:

“I have not heard from anyone, and barely hanging on,” he said.

THE BEST officials are the ones you don’t even notice during an event, as the adage goes.

But since the shortage of officials became public knowledge, I’ve tried to make it a point this spring to pay a little closer attention to officials when they’ve been working at local high school baseball and softball games.

If there were officials taking abuse from fans during a game, I didn’t see it. And if a coach had an issue with a call, they didn’t charge toward the official and go all Earl Weaver or Lou Piniella on the umpire, kicking dirt and/or throwing bases.

Abuse from fans and/or coaches is a big reason officials in big cities get out, but not so much in friendly ol’ North Idaho.

Pay for officials is improving, but nobody does it just for the pay — just like nobody coaches in high school just for the money.

Officials must weigh the pros of “giving back to the game,” and the other, intangible benefits of officiating vs. the many hours away from home and on the road — especially in a spread-out territory such as North Idaho.

EVERY NOW and then, I think back to my brush with umpiring.

It took place in the late 1990s, when I was still working at the Daily Bee in Sandpoint. One Saturday afternoon, I brought my camera to Travers Park to take a team photo of a local girls softball team that was getting ready for some tournament — ASA districts, or state, I don’t remember.

Even the age level of the team escapes me, more than two decades later — maybe sixth grade, maybe older, definitely not high school age yet.

Anyway, this Sandpoint team was at Travers to play against a similar age-group team from Lakeland.

After I took the team photo and got all their names, I put my camera away and was getting ready to leave — probably for a quick nine at The Elks Golf Course.

“We don’t have any umpires for this game,” someone said to me. ”Would you mind umping a few innings?

Oh, sure, I replied.

Obviously I didn’t have any umpiring gear, but the good folks from Sandpoint and Lakeland were able to scrounge a few things together — shin guards, a chest protector and a mask, perhaps? — so I at least had some protection behind the plate.

There was one piece of equipment they couldn’t come up with right away — but thankfully, the catchers from Sandpoint and Lakeland displayed superb defensive abilities on this day, for which I remain eternally thankful, if you know what I mean.

My strike zone probably wasn’t what these kids were used to — but it wasn’t quite as erratic as that of Enrico Pallazzo in “The Naked Gun.” If anyone objected, they kept their grumbling out of earshot.

In fact, there was only one hiccup I remember in the few innings I was behind the plate.

Sitting just behind the backstop, off to my left, was the mom of one of the Sandpoint players — a woman I’d known for years, someone with an extensive sports background, someone I respected as an athlete and a person.

One of the teams had runners on base, and less than two out. The next batter lifted a popup to the infield, and I looked up, just as curious as everyone else to see if it was going to be caught.

It was, and I signaled the batter out, and wandered back behind the plate to get ready for the next hitter.

It was then I heard a voice, from the Sandpoint mom, not in a scolding tone, but just loud enough for me to hear:

“That was an infield fly.”

I thought about that a little while later, and I was headed to the first tee, my brief umpiring career over.

I felt good that I had “given back to the game,” but it was also a reminder that, despite their best intentions, sometimes officials err.

They didn’t mean to.

Something to keep in mind, the next time you think an official wronged your team.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @CdAPressSports.