Why be an Official? (Grand Rapids Press)

January 25, 2012

The Grand Rapids Press' Jane Bos tells the story of some of the most valuable, yet often-criticized people who help make our games go -- the officials enforcing the rules. 

Consider this interesting point: On a Tuesday or Friday, the O-K Conference must come up with 150 officials to work its basketball games. And it, like most if not all leagues, always is looking for more.

She also explains how another former Press sportswriter, Howie Beardsley, got into the reffing game.

Check it out:

"Why West Michigan high school referees say you should consider wearing stripes"

Today in the MHSAA: 5/17/24

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 17, 2024

1. GIRLS TENNIS No. 7 Midland Dow earned five flight championships and a Lower Peninsula Division 2 Regional team title – Midland Daily News

2. GIRLS TENNIS No. 10 Holland West Ottawa swept singles on the way to clinching a sixth-straight Regional title in LPD1 – Holland Sentinel

3. GIRLS SOCCER Livonia Stevenson won the Kensington Lakes Activities Association overall championship game 1-0 over Division 1 No. 6 Hartland – Hometown Life

4. GIRLS TENNIS Hamilton clinched its first Regional title in girls tennis, in LPD3 – Holland Sentinel

5. BASEBALL Whitehall’s Kyle Stratton broke the state career stolen bases record with a swipe against Mason County Central – Muskegon Chronicle

6. GIRLS SOCCER Division 2 No. 12 Mason clinched its first Capital Area Activities Conference Gold Cup with a shootout win over DeWitt – Lansing State Journal

7. GIRLS LACROSSE Chippewa Valley United earned its first MHSAA Tournament victory, 9-4 over West Bloomfield – Macomb Daily

8. GIRLS SOCCER Walled Lake Northern finished a repeat run in the Lakes Valley Conference Tournament with a 1-0 win over South Lyon East – Oakland Press

9. BASEBALL/SOFTBALL Clare’s Division 3 No. 8 softball and baseball teams clinched Jack Pine Conference titles outright with sweeps at Farwell – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

10. TRACK & FIELD Pewamo-Westphalia swept LPD3 Regional titles at Bath – Midland Daily News | Athletic.net