“A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread, and Thou.”

This quote from the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam sums up the needs of an 11th century Persian poet. Most people seem to have a much longer list of basic requirements. However, host schools will typically find that the wish lists of their sports officials are rather short and easy to address even before the doors open for a contest.

Perhaps the sports officials’ list of needs should read: “A bottle of water, a clean towel and a hot shower.” It’s probably neither poetic nor memorable in literary circles, but officials certainly remember when host schools provide things as simple as these to demonstrate their respect for and appreciation of the officials’ commitment to high school athletics.

Most officials have excellent experiences at schools and only on rare occasions work with school representatives who consider officials to be “a necessary inconvenience.” Most athletic directors recognize that officials are one part of the team required to make each contest successful. Players, coaches, fans and officials must all play important roles in interscholastic sports, and a positive overall experience at each event will be the result of respecting the needs of each component of athletic competition.

It is easy to forget that an official often arrives at a high school sporting event after having completed a day of work at his or her full-time job. Officials are doctors, factory workers, accountants, farmers and homemakers who have a passion for working with young athletes after the regular workday ends. Whatever their occupations may be, they appreciate and value host schools’ recognition of not only the time and talent they share on the court, but also the commitment they have made to arrive at schools on time and prepared to officiate.

In survey after survey, officials report the same three items as their top wants when officiating a sports contest: warm water in the shower, a clean towel and some type of hydrating drink before, during and after the contest. It is that simple.

A continuing source of puzzlement to officials is why schools have locker rooms and shower facilities that lack water pressure or hot water! The running joke among officials is that they receive hot water only when the home team wins. Not every official needs or wants a shower after a contest, but the opportunity for one should be made available. Most officials don’t want to drive home dirty and sweaty, especially if they have arrived at a school straight from work and in professional clothing.

Officials also appreciate a clean towel to use after a shower. This is another simple “perk” that demonstrates the respect of a host school for its officials. Some schools have been known to provide a souvenir towel for each official. The towel may include the school name and mascot or a logo for the name of the tournament. That is both unexpected and unnecessary, but what a neat indication of a host school’s attention to detail in preparing for its sporting contests. This level of preparedness gives officials good reason to anticipate that the court or field is well prepared, the table officials are well trained and the entire event is well organized.

Many articles outlining the importance of keeping high school student-athletes hydrated have been published. Water during both practices and contests is vital. Proper hydration in “off” hours is also discussed. Likewise, providing water for officials should be part of an administrator’s pre-contest routine. A small cooler filled with bottled water in their dressing room would be a dream-come-true for most officials. If providing a cooler isn’t feasible, the host school might simply ask officials upon their arrival if they have a drink preference and then have it delivered to their locker room before the contest begins.

It is also important to remember the importance of hydration for officials who are working warm weather outdoor contests. Football officials always appreciate it when a team manager offers water during some of those hot and humid nights in August. This is another example of a small action that demonstrates an athletic department’s attention to detail and respect for the officials.

Of course, any time you ask people what they want beyond their basic needs, they will tell you. A clean and dry dressing room that is large enough for all officials makes many lists. A snack at the conclusion of the contest also makes some lists. It could be a candy bar, a bag of popcorn, fruit or leftover pizza from the concession stand. Other items that may appear on an official’s wish list are a parking spot close to the dressing area, a complimentary ticket for a spouse or other family member and an escort to the dressing area.

Officials realize that the athletic director has a host of duties during a contest and may not be able to meet and greet the officials upon their arrival. However, an adult should be assigned to the task so that he or she can address any issues or questions the officials may have and inform the athletic director that all of the officials have arrived.

Schools should demonstrate their respect for and appreciation of their officials. At the same time, though, those officials should offer their respect for the host school. This respect should come in many different forms. First should be a “thank you” to the school for its hospitality. Second, officials should demonstrate respect for the school by leaving the locker room provided to them well organized. Placing the used towels in a pile, placing empty drink and snack containers in the trash and picking up the area before leaving should be a small gesture of appreciation offered by the crew.

Perhaps most importantly, an official should demonstrate respect to the school by confirming the date, time and place he or she is to officiate a contest and by arriving early, prepared both physically and mentally to work the contest. With today’s technology, there is no excuse for not providing pre-contest communication to a school.

Working with sports officials is an important part of one’s position as an athletic director. The reality is it takes only small gestures to work effectively with officials. A host school can only benefit from treating its officials well. Officials, including top-rated ones, will want to work at that school, and they will spread the word concerning the athletic director’s professionalism and preparedness. Host schools are sometimes even formally acknowledged for their excellence when officials’ associations present awards to them. Our partnership is vital to continue making high school athletic competition an integral part of students’ educational experiences. If we use a quote from Aretha Franklin, “R-E-S-P-E-C-T,” we will serve each other and the athletes well for many seasons to come.