Earlier this year, the NFHS launched an initiative to attract more officials to the high school game. In many states, a shortage of active officials has reached crisis stage.

One of the main groups targeted by the campaign has been college students who still want to be involved in athletics. However, a high school in Ohio is taking its recruitment message to a younger crowd.

From the Zanesville Times Recorder:

Officials' associations have tried to recruit and retain numbers for years.

Zanesville High School will help the effort by offering students an officiating class as an elective.

Steve Shroyer, a licensed official in football, basketball and baseball, will instruct the course.

He has at least 16 years of experience in each sport.

"Zanesville was looking for more electives, and principal Laura Tompkins asked if I was interested," said Shroyer, the school's athletic trainer. "This will help support the officials association and hopefully, recruit some new ones."

 Read more here.