One of the things I like most about fall and spring sports schedules is that most of the time the sports can be played in the rain and there is very little disruption to their schedules because of weather.

That’s why I thought it was odd this year that we had some random reschedules and postponements of games. We also had some last-minute changes to start times, but I really didn’t think that much about it.

Then, I started to add the winter sport events to the calendar, and I was struck first by how light the boys’ swim schedule is, and then by the random days some of the meets seemed to be scheduled for, and then a whole bunch of different start times.

Again, I thought it odd, but since the pandemic and all the craziness of the last year, I am never sure when it’s just me, or if it’s a larger phenomenon.

And then, a video started making the rounds, shared by coaches, athletic directors, and several high school sports officials. It turns out that officials for youth sports are leaving the job in record numbers.

Many sports are having a hard time finding enough officials to conduct games, or they are having to juggle their schedules so the same officials can cover multiple games in one evening.

Many of the officials that are sticking it out are getting older, and to be honest, there is a physical element to most officiating that may not be sustainable night after night.

So, here we are. Lots of kids eager to play, lots of coaches ready to start their seasons, lots of parents who are making up for a few seasons where they had to step back or spectate from home. And, it doesn’t seem like we’re going to have the seasons we’re all hoping to have.

How did we get to this? Well, in the video shared by the group Officially Human, they cite some pretty specific reasons, starting off with the fact that 87% of officials report having been subjected to verbal abuse. A large percentage has now also started reporting physical abuse. New officials dropping like flies after only 2 or 3 years of officiating, almost unanimously citing the various forms of abuse as the overwhelming reason that they’re leaving.

As a parent, as a coach, and yes, even as an official (although I’m not currently able to officiate since my kids are competing in the sport), am I at all surprised? No. No, I am not.

In fact, my only question is why this took so long to create a crisis, and I know the answer to that one.

People don’t get into officiating for the big bucks, or to lord themselves over a bunch of teenagers, or because there are any great opportunities for glory. They officiate primarily because they love the sport and because they want to give something back to an activity that has most likely played a critical role in helping them become the person they are.

I know without a doubt that the discipline and work ethic that I learned as a swimmer have played a pivotal part in making me into the parent, the spouse, the employee, and yes, the coach that I have become.

I also know that most of the very best people in my life are the people who I’ve met through some aspect of swimming. (Steve and I met as lifeguards when we were 15.) The bonds you form as part of a team are usually those that last a lifetime, when it’s the right team. Officiating and coaching become a natural progression for those of us who want to give back to a sport or activity that has given us so much.

So, what changed? Sure, the pandemic changed things. A lot of people who were thinking about retiring or stepping back to pursue other activities got a pretty hard nudge to do it. A lot of people realized that free time was a nice thing to have and developed other interests. Other people decided that continuing to pay for continuing education and certification credits and chapter dues wasn’t feasible. A few officials were definitely lost to these causes along the way.

But the overwhelming reason for the hemorrhage is the abuse that is heaped on them by parents, coaches, and yes, even athletes.

As if the verbal abuse isn’t enough, thanks to everyone having a camera, there have been well documented and frequently shared videos captured of officials being physically attacked. Who in their right mind would volunteer to continue working in this environment?

I have, on occasion, seen officials that I have a lot of respect for finally snap a little and remind parents that if they don’t like the job that’s being done, they are free to become officials themselves. I have yet to see one of those parents show up at the next game in stripes. Probably because they don’t want to put up with people like themselves.

As a coach, I’ve benefited from bad calls on other teams, I’ve had bad calls made against my athletes. As a parent, I’ve seen my kids get away with things they shouldn’t have, and I’ve seen them be unfairly penalized as well.

You know where else that sort of stuff happens? Life. It’s far better to learn that lesson on a playing field where the consequences won’t last beyond the end of a period or a quarter than it is when you’re on the job or in a relationship or any of the other experiences that you will have to navigate in the future.

I’ve always told my kids that if their career can be derailed by one bad call, then they’re not that much of an athlete and deserve to have it derailed.

Hopefully, things start to change. It’s going to be hard to get those that left to come back. It’s going to be impossible to get new people to become officials.

When we can’t play the games, the teams will start to disappear, and those who love the sport will be lost forever.

Is our bad behavior really worth losing all of that?

Liz Pinkey is a contributing writer to the Times News.