SHS junior officiates volleyball tourney

A new class that was introduced to Sundance High School this year has already seen one young lady take the title of being the first student official in Wyoming to put her new skill to use.

According to Lisa Dutton, "sports officiating" is both an opportunity for the students and a great help for high school sports in Wyoming.

"I had six students sign up, and in the first quarter we covered volleybally officiating. These students had a strong curriculum to use through RefReps," she says.

"RefReps has been designed to help the national shortage of sports officials and covers numerous sports. Sundance students had the opportunity to help officiate lower levels (non-varsity) this fall and helped out during the JH District Tourney."

Junior Gracie Davis was then offered the chance to officiate a freshman tourney in Gillette this weekend. She officiated four games, says Dutton, and learned a great deal.

"Gracie is the first student official in Wyoming to have taken the sports officiating class and put it to use – [at least] that I am aware of, because no one else is doing it yet," Dutton says.

High school students can register for sports officating through the Wyoming High School Athletics Association (WHSAA). They then take a sport specific test, says Dutton, and upon passing they obtain a rule book and WHSAA shirt patch and are able to put their new talents to work.

Sundance is currently working in conjunction with Central Wyoming College, but Dutton says many more colleges and high schools across the state are looking to follow suit during the spring semester.

Next up for the group will be basketball, which will be covered during the second quarter. Dutton will then decide which sport to cover next semester depending on what her students are most interested in.

It's likely that some of Gracie's classmates will soon follow in her footsteps. As a volleyball player, Dutton explains, her felt comfortable with this sport, while some of her peers feel more comfortable with basketball and may be officiating games in the near future.