Sports game officials are much like the athletes they officiate in that participation in postseason championship events can be career highlights.
That has made the past two volleyball seasons special for Salem’s Tim Hill.
Hill, who is currently a game official in three sports for the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA), has been assigned to work state volleyball tournament matches the past two seasons.
Last month Hill was assigned for state high school volleyball championships at the Show-Me Center in Cape Girardeau Nov. 8-9, working all four classes. To highlight the weekend Hill worked the Missouri Class 2 championship match and the Class 4 third-place match.
Like the players who play the state finals the officials must earn the right to work them, as a ratings system is used to help select the state tournament officials’ field.
“They generally assign you as a line judge the first year to get you used to it,” Hill said of the volleyball state event. “This year I was one of the game officials. In the state volleyball tournament, on Friday each class plays round robin. Based on that they go into bracket play Saturday. This was the last year for that format. They are adding a Class 5 for volleyball next year and will go straight to bracket play.”
Hill, 52, is the minister at Salem Christian Church in his regular job. But his part-time employment includes being a basketball referee in the winter, a softball umpire during the spring and volleyball in the fall. In Missouri high school softball, teams can play in either the fall or spring.
“I’ve been a state-sanctioned official for 11 years,” he said. “I’ve been a basketball referee for 11 years and added baseball, softball and volleyball the next year. When softball went to the spring, I dropped baseball.
“Several more-experienced officials in the area have helped me a great deal. David and Teresa Arthur from Houston, Ed Montge of Rolla; all three have responsibilities with the state and all are good friends who have been very helpful.
As far as sports to officiate, Hill says he prefers volleyball.
“I enjoy volleyball,” he said. “I enjoy them all, but volleyball has become my favorite. It’s extremely athletic and I enjoyed learning things about the game I didn’t know about before, like rotations.”
Hill has also worked quarterfinal playoff games in softball and district tournament games in baseball.
“It is a great atmosphere,” he said. “It was also a treat this year because I know so many of the Licking players and coaches.”
The Licking Wildcats finished third in the Missouri Class 2 State Tournament.
Hill is the volleyball assigner for the Waynesville/St. Robert Officials Association, which covers areas such as West Plains, Mountain Grove, Willow Springs, Sullivan, Rolla and Waynesville.
And he says it’s becoming more and more difficult in all sports to recruit game officials, particularly younger ones.
“I’ve got 18 high schools I assign refs for and it’s a constant struggle,” Hill said. “Especially in volleyball. So many of us did not play it. You can see officials in every sport getting older and older. For anyone interested, it’s a great source of part-time income, and you could work almost every night if you wanted to. But you have to have the right temperament and enjoy it.”
