PRH vs OHSAA aka: "Little Dictators" part #2

After chronicling my life yesterday over the past 68 1/2 years as a "trouble maker", which is not to be confused with Felon, Criminal, Deviate, etc.  By my sort of trouble, it means never being able to take orders, follow rules, that I consider stupid, or bow down to any self appointed Kings or Queens...for some reason, I enjoy pissing people off and poking them verbally, in the eyes...must be in the DNA?

Enter the OHSAA{Ohio High School Athletic Association} and one dictator~in~waiting, named Beau Rugg....he is one of the assistant commissioners of the OHSAA and in control, so it seems, of officials in all sports under that organization.  He is also a football official, and having seen his work...not exactly at the top of his game.

Beau and his assistants , are often seen in the news, both print and electronic media, sharing their and their organization's concerns about the lack numbers and aging of the official membership rolls.  They blame fans, coaches, pay, young people's lack of commitment and interest in taking abuse from all the reasons listed.  They blame everybody it seems but the main culprits...THEM! and the OHSAA.

I rejoined the OHSAA back in 2001 after oldest son Sam decided to forego college for awhile and take up baseball umpiring and work menial jobs, while calling balls, strikes, outs, and safe!  He took off for Harry Wendelstadt School of Umpiring in Daytona Beach, and although he didn't get a professional gig, he had a great time and came home to umpire High School and lower level baseball.  18 seasons later, now a Actuarial Science Grad of The Ohio State University, he is living in the Chicago Bergs, with a great AS related job, no wife or kids, and is still umpiring as well as officiating football and volleyball in Illinois.  When he returned, he asked me to "get my old license back" and join him umpiring baseball...at 51 years old, and nearing retirement at the Van Wert County Health Department...I said "Why Not"?  Sometime later I would pick up Basketball and Football, and enjoyed all three for well over a decade...the latter two, roundball and running up and down the football fields, has began to wear on me the past few years, and despite the shortage of officials, I really wanted to get out of those two, but planned on continuing baseball umpire work.

Athletic Directors have basically pleaded with me to continue to  help them out with both basketball and football at the lower levels, while they continued to fill my spring and summer baseball schedules with Varsity contests.  This summer while attempting to distance myself from Varsity Football, our crew chief, 50 year veteran official Jon Everhart was "suspended" under unclear circumstances ...  I was asked to take over as the "White Hat" for the entire 2017 Varsity Football season, I was reluctant but agreed...what a mistake that has turned out to be!

There is a time to move on...despite being in good shape and health, for my age, I should have cut ties with the entire mess at least those under the Iron Fisted Dictatorial Rule of the OHSAA.

The story continues next...

Photos:  The Logo of the Ohio High School Athletic Association...at times I believe a Hammer and Sickle would be more appropriate ...I have worked every level of Tournament baseball in Ohio, both in High School, as well as Summer ACME and American Legion, and lower level college...my record, assignments, and ratings speak for themselves...This photo is from a D4 District Contest at Elida a few years ago.  The final is a Saturday JV game of Football at Parkway...