Why be an Official? (Grand Rapids Press)
January 25, 2012
The Grand Rapids Press' Jane Bos tells the story of some of the most valuable, yet often-criticized people who help make our games go -- the officials enforcing the rules.
Consider this interesting point: On a Tuesday or Friday, the O-K Conference must come up with 150 officials to work its basketball games. And it, like most if not all leagues, always is looking for more.
She also explains how another former Press sportswriter, Howie Beardsley, got into the reffing game.
Check it out:
"Why West Michigan high school referees say you should consider wearing stripes"
Today in the MHSAA: 4/13/26
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 13, 2026
1. SOFTBALL Division 3 No. 8 Pinconning ended Division 2 No. 9 Essexville Garber’s five-year Bay County championship run with an 8-6 win in this year’s final – Bay City Times
2. TRACK & FIELD Traverse City West swept girls and boys championships at the Freeland Invitational – Traverse City Record-Eagle
3. TRACK & FIELD The Remus Chippewa Hills girls and Shepherd boys won Warrior Invitational titles – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
4. BOYS GOLF Bay City Western – No. 9 in Lower Peninsula Division 2 – and Freeland’s Tristan Pohl were champions at the Pinconning Invitational – Bay City Times
5. GIRLS SOCCER Bay City Western defeated 2025 champion and current Division 2 No. 10 Essexville Garber 6-0 to win the Bay County Championship – Bay City Times
6. BASEBALL Division 2 No. 10 Yale defeated Croswell-Lexington 5-1 to win Cass City’s Wood Bat Classic – WNEM
7. BASEBALL Division 1 No. 9 Bay City Western downed Garber to win the Bay County Championship on the baseball diamond – Bay City Times
8. BOYS GOLF Tecumseh was first in Division 1 and overall at Ida’s Larry Murdock Invitational – Adrian Daily Telegram
9. TRACK & FIELD The Bellevue girls and Hanover-Horton boys won the latter’s Comet Invitational – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
10. BASEBALL Division 2 No. 13 Flat Rock and Taylor split, Flat Rock winning the first game 9-6 and Taylor the second 19-9 – Southgate News-Herald