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Students take on the role of referee amidst state shortage

Brandon Giesbrecht
/
Flickr

Across the state, Idaho is experiencing an issue in youth sports: there aren't enough referees to go around.

The shortage has resulted in rescheduled games and overworked officials, impacting teams and their players.

Which is why the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance is trying to help fill the gap with a new course that’s teaching students exactly what they need to know in order to take over as a referee at their own schools.

IDLA superintendent Jeff Simmons and Trevor Corn, a student from the Garden Valley School District, joined Idaho Matters to talk more.

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Hannah Gardoski was the Idaho Matters Assistant Producer from 2022-2026.

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