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Officials Shortages - The Research Is In. See The Real Cause of Losing Sports Officials (Abstract), Dr. Matthew Williams, The Sports Journal, February, 2024
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JUNE/JULY, 2024
July 21, 2024 - Augusta, GA - Sports In Extreme Heat: How High School Athletes Can Safely Prepare For The Start of Practice, And The Warning Signs of Heat Illness, reported by Samantha Scarneo-Miller, WJBF - TV6.
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July 18, 2024 - Arizona - How Do Arizona Football Players Practice Safely In The Heat?, reported by Kristian Dyer, yahoo sports.
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July 15, 2024 - Wilson, NC - Cherryville Little League Coach Suspended After Fight With Umpire At State Tournament, reported by Daniel Pierce, WNCT - TV9 (Greenville, NC).
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July 11, 2024 - U.S. Appeals Court Ruling Leaves Open Possibility of College Athletes Being Considered Employees, reported by Steve Berkowitz, USA Today.
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July 5, 2024 - Irmo, SC - 11-Year-Old Hopes To Be A Trailblazer For Black Umpires In Baseball: 'Just Be a Leader.", reported by Deric Rush and Emily Van de Riet, WSAZ TV 3, Huntington, W Va.
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June 27, 2024 - Northwestern Hazing Scandal - One Year Update. See Northwestern Releases Report on Athletics Accountability and Culture, Implementation Plans, Northwestern Now.
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June 27, 2024 - American Canyon, CA - HS Principal Fails To Report Alleged Sex Abuse By Former Track Coach. See American Canyon Principal Accused Of Failing To Report Suspected Child Abuse Won't Be Returning Next Year, District Says, reported by Erika Zaro, Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
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June 25, 2024 - Beaverton, OR - Football Coach In Beaverton School District Resigns After Allegedly Shaking, Slapping Players At Camp, reported by Ashley Grams, KGW 8 - TV, Portland, OR.
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June 17, 2024 - Lake Oswego Coach Says District Ousted Him After Pushed Change In Transgender Law, reported by Barry Manigold, KATU TV 2, Portland, OR. This story gives us a First Amendment issue as a public school district allegedly terminated a coach for expressing his opinion to elected officials. It also gives us another transgender participation policy story as the coach was arguing for an open division for transgender athletes. Of course, the school district will contend that the termination had nothing to do with a policy disagreement, but was simply the district reinforcing the policy neutral rule that only the district's lobbyist can present to the legislature. I have a feeling that the coach will win on the First Amendment if he sues, but will have little ability to change state transgender policy. We shall see.
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June 16, 2024 - Milton, GA - Veteran Umpire Assaulted By Coach During Youth Championship Baseball Game, reported by Tyler Fingert, Fox Sports TV 5 Atlanta, June 20, 2024.
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June 12, 2024 - Poor Sportsmanship is a problem in America - but in Europe it sometimes turns deadly. See Germany Braced For Euro 2024 Trouble After Spate of Soccer Related Violence, AP report on thescore.com
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June 3, 2024 - The Positive Coaching Alliance's Oakland Sports Equity Coalition Shows How An Entire Community Can Help Expose A Great Number of Marginalized Youth To Sports. See the PCA's Case Study: Oakland Sports Equity Coalition. Click here for the Oakland Sports Equity Agenda.
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May 29, 2024 - Upland, CA - Upland High School Faces Hazing Allegations Involving Varsity Baseball Team, Fox 11 TV, Los Angeles.
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May 23, 2024 - Assaults On Officials Raise Doubts About The Future of Youth Sports, reported by Maya A. Jones and Sara Coello, ESPN.Com.
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May 22, 2024 - Proposed Settlement in NCAA's NIL Antitrust case may make it hard for smaller schools to function. See With $2.8B Settlement Looming, NCAA's Smaller Conferences Feeling Squeezed: What Other Options Are There?, reported by Ross Dellinger, Yahoo Sports.
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May 19, 2024 - Eugene, OR - Transgender High School Runner In Oregon Hears Boos From Crowd After Winning Girls 200-Meter State Title, reported by Ryan Morik, Fox News. And I note that however one feels about transgender girls winning girls races, there is something unsettling about a stadium booing a high school kid. The boos do work, though. There are a number of instances where negative crowd reactions have caused transgender high school athletes to simply not show up for some events. Sometimes unseemly crowd behavior is highly effective, but not always. After all, it didn't stop the Oregon runner in this instance.
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May 19, 2024 - NFL Creates Rare Friday Night Conflict With High School Sports. See Packed Friday Night: Northern Wisconsin HS Football Games Clash With Green Bay's NFL Opener, reported by Rick Suter, USA Today High School Sports.
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May 15, 2024 - Virginia Beach, VA - Racism, Hate Speech, Harassment Evident On Kempsville Baseball Team, VBCPS Says, reported by Brendan Ponton, Conor Hollingsworth, WTKR - TV, Hampton Roads, VA.
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May 7, 2024 - Miamisburg, OH - Police Called To Fight Between Parents, Umpires Following Miamisburg Softball Game, reported by Kristen Spicker, Dayton Daily News.
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May 6, 20224 - Memphis, TN - Middle School Track Meet At Collierville High Marred By Racial Threats From Lacrosse Spectators, reported by Mark Giannotto, Memphis Commercial Appeal.
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May 3, 2024 - Lansing, MI - Holt Boys Basketball Coach Facing Multiple Felony Charges, Including Child Sexually Abusive Activity, WILX TV 10, Lansing.
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LATEST COLLINS ARTICLES/INFORMATION
The Challenges of Weather, It’s Official, Monthly Newsletter of the National Association of Sports Officials, September 2023, page 6.
IC Chaos in California, Referee Magazine, January 2021, page 80 (National Association of Sports Officials).
Gig Economy Bill, Referee Magazine, January 2020, page 80 (National Association of Sports Officials).
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Spectator Trouble With Game Administrator Gone, Referee Magazine, June 2021, page 80 (National Association of Sports Officials).
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