Weyburn Minor Hockey is facing a severe shortage of senior officials for the upcoming 2007-2008 season.

This past summer the WMHA lost officials to retirement and relocation. There is no shortage of young officials which, according the referee-in-chief Lindsey Leko, is a good thing and hopefully they will stay with the program so that they can eventually improve, mature and do some higher levels of hockey.

WMHA is actively trying to attract and recruit senior hockey officials to do all levels of hockey in Weyburn. Leko says that they really need adult referees who have played some type of hockey and know the game.

"What I am looking for are senior, recreation and Red Wing players who know the game and can work with younger officials in lower levels of hockey, and who know the game well enough to be able to do lines, and someday referee peewee and bantam levels of hockey," said Leko.

This shortage of officials will impact WMHA greatly as they will have to bring in officials from outside of Weyburn at an increased cost. Even bringing officials from outside is a Band-Aid solution as Estevan, Regina and areas west of Weyburn are also experiencing a shortage of officials.

"They are going to have a hard enough time filling the games that they have scheduled never mind sending officials out to help us with our hockey," says Leko.

Weyburn offers one of the highest referee game fees in the province, which means they are paid well, and is implementing an incentive program to retain their current officials and hopefully recruit some new officials.

Additionally the association is considering purchasing some equipment for new senior officials in order to off-set their costs.

Abuse of officials seems to be another issue, but it is getting better in Weyburn.

"Our executive is extremely supportive of our officials and will back them 100 per cent as long as they are trying their best and act in good faith and behavior," says Leko

Weyburn Minor Hockey supports a Zero Tolerance policy and any verbal abuse of players, coaches or officials by fans will not be tolerated. Fans will be ejected from the rink by the referee or by executive members.

Parents, fans and coaches belonging to WMHA can see additional discipline for this type of behavior and suspensions and bans from the rink have been handed out in the past. All parents and coaches belonging to the WMHA are asked to continue to support their local officials.

This is a sore spot for Leko as well. "I have absolutely no patience or tolerance for any person who is yelling at a 12-year-old official on the ice because they missed a call or made the wrong call. I will stick up for them always.

"We see it all the time at Red Wings games where the fans are all over the officials. Young kids see this and think that it is okay to do. Well, it is not at any level of hockey. Try officiating the game from the ice surface where everything changes and is moving. Pretty nice to be able to call a game from up in the stands where you can see everything. Don't yell until you have tried yourself."

If you are interested in becoming an official in WMHA contact Lindsey Leko. The minimum age to officiate hockey in Weyburn is the peewee age. You have to be one level higher than the level you are officiating. For example, if you are playing peewee, then at least you can officiate at the atom and novice levels.

WMHA is also actively trying to get more female officials to work hockey in Weyburn as well.

There is an officials clinic at the Weyburn Comp on Sunday, Sept. 23, starting at 9 a.m. in the morning. The clinic fee is $25 and has to be paid that day. New this year is an online portion of the clinic that you can do prior to attending the clinic.

Once you complete the online module you will only have to attend the clinic for half the day or until noon. Otherwise, you have to attend the whole day.

The SHA Referees website is www.shareferees.lookmatters.com. From here you go to the module log in and complete the online portion of the clinic. Once completed, you must print off the certificate and present it to at the clinic on Sept. 23.