Coast Basketball Refs on Strike
When the ball is tipped, they’re the ones right there, stride for stride, to make sure everyone is treated fairly. Now, they’re the ones who feel they’re getting the raw end of a deal. Seventy-eight basketball officials make up the Gulf Coast Basketball Officials Association and now they’re on strike because of a lack of adequate compensation. News 25’s Bryan Kennedy caught up with the group’s president to see what it’s going to take to get them off the bench and back in the game.
Joseph Davis has been officiating high school basketball for more than 20 years but it’s been the last three that’s brought the most trouble. He and the Gulf Coast Basketball Officials Association have been in talks for a $15 a game pay raise. The Mississippi High School Activities Association offered a $5 raise or $10 a night, but for him that’s not enough. “My association felt like they should at least meet us halfway. With the $10, you know we didn’t accept that and we voted to not work the present basketball season.”
Officials on the Coast get paid $40 a game and usually make $80 a night after officiating two games. Davis says that ranks near or at the bottom compared to what other officials are paid in and around Mississippi.
Coast athletic officials say they’re grateful for the referees they have but their problems surround the budget. Gulfport High Athletic Director Bryan Caldwell said, “Well, obviously the officials are a big part of high school basketball and we appreciate the job they do. The officials have put us in a tough spot because our budgets are set.” “We’ve made presentations over the past couple of years before the budget was set. They were not addressed or not addressed appropriately,” said Davis
As the clock continues to tick down, officials say the ball is in the court of the MHSAA. Officials say they have no plans of backing down. “Across the board, all of our officials, we want to work. This is what we do. We do it because we enjoy it but again there has to be some concession made,” said Davis.
As basketball coaches begin to prepare their teams, they simply hope the two sides work it out.
“I really hope that cooler heads will prevail and we can work through this. At the end of the day, the ones that will be punished won’t be the athletic directors, it won’t be the coaches. It’ll be the players,” said Caldwell.
When the MHSAA offered a $5 a game pay raise, the officials countered with a $10 a game raise with an added five over the next three years. There has still been no agreement and games tip off November 5th.
Joseph Davis has been officiating high school basketball for more than 20 years but it’s been the last three that’s brought the most trouble. He and the Gulf Coast Basketball Officials Association have been in talks for a $15 a game pay raise. The Mississippi High School Activities Association offered a $5 raise or $10 a night, but for him that’s not enough. “My association felt like they should at least meet us halfway. With the $10, you know we didn’t accept that and we voted to not work the present basketball season.”
Officials on the Coast get paid $40 a game and usually make $80 a night after officiating two games. Davis says that ranks near or at the bottom compared to what other officials are paid in and around Mississippi.
Coast athletic officials say they’re grateful for the referees they have but their problems surround the budget. Gulfport High Athletic Director Bryan Caldwell said, “Well, obviously the officials are a big part of high school basketball and we appreciate the job they do. The officials have put us in a tough spot because our budgets are set.” “We’ve made presentations over the past couple of years before the budget was set. They were not addressed or not addressed appropriately,” said Davis
As the clock continues to tick down, officials say the ball is in the court of the MHSAA. Officials say they have no plans of backing down. “Across the board, all of our officials, we want to work. This is what we do. We do it because we enjoy it but again there has to be some concession made,” said Davis.
As basketball coaches begin to prepare their teams, they simply hope the two sides work it out.
“I really hope that cooler heads will prevail and we can work through this. At the end of the day, the ones that will be punished won’t be the athletic directors, it won’t be the coaches. It’ll be the players,” said Caldwell.
When the MHSAA offered a $5 a game pay raise, the officials countered with a $10 a game raise with an added five over the next three years. There has still been no agreement and games tip off November 5th.
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