Jackson, Mich. (WKHM, Greg O’Connor) — The first official practice day for high school football is today. Some teams were out at midnight getting those reps in. A serious problem has been developing when it comes to all high school sports for quite a while now: the number of officials/referees/umpires is declining rapidly in Michigan. As the older generation retires, not enough are signing up to take their place.

Recently on WKHM, Tim Hoffman Sr. and Tim Hoffman Jr. talked about the need for officials. They recently held a  fundraising golf event which they hope will help:

Hoffman Sr. has been pounding around the courts for some 43 years, and Hoffman Jr. for over 10. We asked about pay, and they admitted money is a factor:

More information can be found on the Jackson Area Officials Association website: