LUMBERTON — Local recreation baseball leagues are in need of new umpires, and are seeking young, aspiring officials in particular with the season set to begin soon.

An informational meeting will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at the activity room at Bill Sapp Recreation Center for anyone interested in officiating for the Southeastern Officials Association, which provides umpires for baseball and softball with the Lumberton Youth Baseball Association, Lumberton Softball Association, West Robeson Baseball Association, Fairmont Civitan baseball and Robeson County Little League.

A shortage of officials is progressively getting worse says Adrian Lowery, who has officiated for nearly 30 years and does booking for the SOA, and could potentially threaten the long-term future of youth sports in the community without new officials stepping into the role. The average official is currently over 50 years old, he said.

“We’ve got a group that does it every year, but that group is decreasing each year, and we’ve really got to do something to get some new blood in to assist us, or there just won’t be any officials,” Lowery said. “And with no officials there’s no sports, so now what are your kids doing? … The purpose of sports is to create a respect and then to show them the ability of when you work hard and how to win graciously and how to lose graciously, which will carry them through the rest of their life.”

On a given gameday, the SOA needs approximately 20 to 26 officials to work games across Robeson County, Lowery said. Those interested can contact Lowery at 910-827-1947.

Officiating is a great role for those who have played or coached the game and want to remain involved, said Anthony Maynor, a longtime local official who began working recreation games in Fairmont and is now a North Carolina High School Athletic Association Golden Whistle Award winner and also a college football official at the Division-I level.

“Sports officiating, you aren’t going to get rich doing it, but it’s rewarding; you get an opportunity to stay involved in the game, and you get an opportunity to make a difference in these kids’ lives, and it makes the kids better,” Maynor said. “We’re there as a neutral party to make sure everybody gets a fair opportunity.”

The lack of young officials, Lowery believes, is largely because of the backlash many officials face during games, even at the youth level, making it a job few want to subject themselves to.

“I think a lot of it has to do with the way (young officials) are treated by the fans, and some of the things they hear,” Lowery said. “When they hear that first derogatory remark or an unkind word, they’re like, this is not for me, and they’re gone.”

For those who may wish to officiate at higher levels of competition, the youth level is the place to start. Lumberton native Brad Allen did as a teenager; he just completed his 10th season as an NFL official.

“People honestly believe that you can go over and pick up one of those shirts like they have at Foot Locker, and put it on and immediately go out and work the North Carolina-North Carolina State basketball game,” Allen said. “That’s not the way it works. We used to call it paying your dues, or getting grass time, whatever verbage you want to use; you have to hone your craft.

“At the youth level, everyone is learning,” he added. “Officials have to start there — and make mistakes there in order to get better — just like the players and coaches. It’s part of the development process.”

Being involved with young local athletes can be its own reward, especially as several local teams have advanced to the Dixie Youth Baseball and Dixie Softball World Series in recent years, including Lumberton’s Dixie Angels softball team that won the World Series championship in 2022. Maynor says he’s officiated many players who went on to play at the professional level, and coaches who are now in various local or regional halls of fame.

The alternative, meanwhile, could be particularly dire to the Robeson County community and others, if and when the lack of officials becomes an existential threat for youth sports.

“We really do need people who are knowledgeable and are willing to be trained to do a good job to keep our youth programs afloat,” Allen said. “Because ultimately what are we going to do if we don’t have enough officials to cover our games? Are we not going to offer sports? That would be a terrible thing, particularly in a community like ours where sports can be such a positive outlet for our young people.”