DIXON – Big Northern Conference athletic directors consider steps to combat official shortage. In a meeting last week, Athletic Director Jared Shaner of Dixon High School says the directors discussed the worsening high school officials shortage in Illinois, as well as possible solutions. Shaner says he’s seeing more and more fan ejection because of heckling. According to a recent survey by the National Association of Sports Officials, more that 75 percent of all high school officials say “adult behavior” is the primary reason officials quit. Steve Hanson, Athletic Director for Mendota Township High School says, not only does he want good sportsmanship from teams, but from fans as well. Amongst options being reviewed by the conference are, standardized announcements of spectacle behavior before each conference event and penalties for spectators who have been ejected from events.
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