High school football needs officials. And everyone has a role to play.

A number of area teams unofficially kicked off the high school football season Friday night with pre-season jamborees. But there's a challenge on the gridiron this year, and it's not related to the players.

Southeast Missourian sports reporter Clay Herrell recently reported it's become increasingly difficult to find officiating crews.

Greg Laurentius, director of the SEMO Football Officials Association Central District, noted his group previously had 16 officiating crews. At the time of the story, they were down to 12. As a result, some games have been moved to Thursdays and Saturdays instead of a full schedule on Fridays to accommodate the shortage.

Laurentius said "verbal abuse" is one of the reasons individuals, particularly younger officials, no longer want to officiate. That's unfortunate.

Officiating is an important aspect of sports and doing so at the high school level can be a great way for former players to stay engaged in something they love.

We highly encourage those with a passion for competition and an interest in officiating — not only football, but any of the high school sports — to consider getting involved with the state and local athletic associations.

This is also a good reminder to players, coaches and parents: Officials have a difficult job. Yes, they need to give their best effort. But we should foster an environment that encourages the best to continue.

Keep in mind, most of these individuals are not going to be professional referees or umpires. They're going to make mistakes at times. Offer grace, show good sportsmanship, and extend a word of thanks to those who choose to officiate.

If you are interested in becoming an official for a high school sport in Missouri, visit www.mshsaa.org. You can learn more about the SEMO Football Officials Association at www.semofoa.org.