Football officials shortage worries supervisor

Chris Whitbeck is a bit frantic, and rightfully so.
Whitbeck is the supervisor of officials for youth and high school football for Northern Nevada. With the football season getting under way in the next week or so, Whitbeck is extremely short of officials — to the point that in his most recent e-mail he said, “If we do not have a great turnout that night (Tuesday) we are in serious trouble for this season. I am very disappointed and about ready to throw in the towel.” - NFL Football -
He is holding an officials clinic from 6-9 p.m. Tuesday at the Washoe County Health Department.
As a long-time official, Whitbeck can’t understand the lack of response to his many requests for officials.
“It’s a chance to give something back to the game,” Whitbeck said. “Maybe a guy played high school football or was a Pop Warner coach. Maybe this is a way to give back to the community of football.” - NFL Football -
Whitbeck said he has been an official for a variety of sports, but football is his favorite.
“The most fun, by far, is football,” he said. “Even the little Mighty Mites are fun. There’s nothing like it. And for the officials, there’s a lot of camaraderie. All my best friends are officials.”
He said officials are paid, $27.50 for Pop Warner games, $30 for Sierra Youth Football League, with two games a night guaranteed.
But he added there’s another incentive, the chance to move up to officiate college or even professional games. - NFL Football -
“If a guy has the desire to go to college to be an official, the door is wide open,” he said. “The NFL is looking for young officials, ages 25-30 with a few years of high school (officiating) under their belt. They’ll put you in the Arena League. They have a recruiting system like in major league baseball. A scout can say, ‘I saw you.’ If guys want to work in college and the pros, the opportunity is there.”
Whitbeck said one of his former youth officials moved up to the Western Athletic Conference this season. - NFL Football -
He said one reason for a low turnout of officials is the potential for abuse by coaches. But he holds a clinic for coaches to teach them not to drive off referees.
“I had played the game and I had coached the game,” Whitbeck said. “Those are the guys we want. Ex-coaches, ex-players. They know the game, they know the rules. We still have to teach them a few mechanics, such as where to stand, but I’d like to have guys who have played football.”
Contact Whitbeck at 849-3666. - NFL Football -
BASKETBALL: Thirty teams from the West Coast competed in the Reno-Tahoe Jam On It Royal Flush adult 5-on-5 basketball tournament at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center over the weekend.
Team Parsons (Pat Condon, Ed Madee, J. Vossler, Chris Gonzo, Matt Stanley, Brian Carson and Bo Henegar) won the men’s open division and walked away with a check for $7,000.
The 40+ men’s championship had the Reno-based Stallions (Sean Moore, Mike Jones, Joe Nichols, Gary Ferrick, David Wood, Mike Jauron, Dick Lee, Larry Brabhan and Forest Kingshaw) go undefeated and take home a $1,000 check. - NFL Football -
The women’s champion was Funky Monkey (Collen Mulherr, Amanda Levens, Amber Young, Becki Little, April Bankston, Jess Larsen and Kalari Jones) with an 11-point win in the finals for the $1,000 prize.
The next Jam On It adult event is the Reno-Tahoe 3-on-3 Jam Fest, Nov. 11-13. Contact tournament director Glenn Banton at 232-0095 or visit www.jamonit.org for information.
FITNESS: It took a little longer than she planned, but Ali Metkovich (formerly McKnight) finally won a fitness contest and earned professional status.
Metkovich needed to be a pro in order to compete at the highly coveted Olympia contest.
Metkovich, a McQueen High graduate and former All-American track athlete at the University of Nevada, won the tall division at a contest in New York on Aug. 6.
“I really felt like I put all the components together,” she said. “Dieting, training, I hit the pinnacle of what it was I sought to do. The culmination of my dieting and training happened there. My focus, plus my stage presentation hit its peak.” - NFL Football -
She finished fourth at the same contest in New York a year ago. While she said that was a devastating result, it also opened her eyes to how competitive her new sport is.
She stressed that it’s not a bikini contest, nor is it bodybuilding, but judging can vary depending on the whims of the officials and who they like on any particular day.
Metkovich trains six days a week and eats carefully measured portions about every two hours.
She said being a pro means she can earn prize money, but that’s not why she competes.
“When all is said and done, I’ve spent a lot more money competing than I would win. It’s not for money, this sport is truly a new love for me. Now I can compete against the cream of the crop in the industry. My goal ultimately is to step on the Olympia stage,” she said.
To earn a spot at the Olympia contest she’ll need to finish in the top three in one of the seven contests she plans to compete in next year. She said she plans to add 10 pounds over the offseason in order to gain a little size on her legs. - NFL Football -

Jim Krajewski RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL