Coaching and Officiating is intentionally designed to teach the basics of coaching and officiating, all while students work towards earning a certificate qualifying them as reliable coaches or referees in the sport of their choice. New in the first semester of the 2024-25 school year, this class is a student favorite and will surely stick around.

The new class aims to help address a major issue facing America’s youth. A 2023 survey of referees by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) indicates that a referee shortage is growing, as “the average age of sports officials is increasing, [and] sportsmanship has gotten worse” (NFHS). Many referees may not be able to do the job they once did as their age increases, and others may not want to tolerate the abuse anymore, either way Ankeny High Students have felt the impacts of the shortage.

Ankeny High junior Carter Lee did not have the opportunity to take Coaching and Officiating at Ankeny High but became a US Soccer youth referee as he was tired of seeing his younger sister’s soccer games played without official referees.

“There weren’t enough refs, parents had to ref,” said Lee.

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According to the US Soccer’s website, the cost of the course to receive one’s license is 40 dollars, and the average pay for a game reffed is 30-40 dollars.

“Reffing is a great way to get some exercise and get some extra cash,” said Lee.

The flexible schedule has allowed Lee to both referee and work part-time while attending school. Lee has also seen some improvement in his ability to play soccer solely from officiating youth soccer.

“It’s definitely made me a better player, I understand the rules as much as the ref who is officiating the game, and I can give them some grace,” said Lee.

Participation in youth sports is in a visual increase, as new facilities pop up in communities all around Iowa and the country. At each of these facilities, countless kids will discover their love of sport, but without coaches and officials, these kids may be relegated to well-meaning parents jumping in to help. This class is an opportunity for Ankeny High students to throw their hats in the ring and make lasting changes in youth sports. It takes character to stand up for something you believe in and that is exactly what these Ankeny High students have done.

Ankeny High senior Ben Taylor took the class last semester and chose to earn his certificate in basketball. While Taylor plays football and baseball for the Hawks, he still values the chance he had to learn about a sport he likes to play with his friends.

“It was an opportunity to learn a lot about a sport I did not know the most about,” Taylor said.

Contrary to Taylor, Ankeny High senior Dylan Gloviak and the Hawks boy’s soccer captain earned his certificate in soccer, and plans to earn his official license to referee youth soccer this summer.

“I gained a sort of IQ for the sport, [I learned] terminology and some hand signals,” Gloviak said.

The class has many components, including textbook learning through an online course provider, verbal feedback from peers and teachers, observing coaching and officiating through movies along with more activities and projects.

“I loved it when we watched some sports movies to compare and contrast some coaching styles,” Ankeny High senior Kingston Ukpabi said.

Analyzing different coaching styles allows students to learn from iconic coaches like Herb Brooks (Miracle), Gordon Bombay (The Mighty Ducks), and Hermann Boone (Remember the Titans).

Students will also create a game for their classmates using a ball, students will then teach and coach the game.

“One of my favorite parts of the class was when we created a game and then played those games our classmates made,” shared Taylor.