Kurt Klier has been featured in Referee Magazine

If you read through the June 2017 issue of Referee Magazine, you’ll come across a name familiar to the NIRSA family. NIRSA member Kurt Klier, Assistant Director of Sport Clubs at the University of Maryland-College Park and a member of the Student Officials Development Campaign Task Force, is featured in two articles recounting the “Officials Development: From Grassroots to Professional” panel discussion that took place on February 21 at NIRSA 2017 and the Officiating Development Alliance (ODA) meeting that occurred on February 22 in National Harbor, MD.

ODA members, members from the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO), and groups such as the NBA, MLB, and NCAA also took part in that three-hour panel discussion. About 80 NIRSA members attended to ask questions, share stories, and engage with some of the best minds in the officiating industry. In Referee Magazine, Kurt illustrates how NIRSA and other big names in officiating share a common goal to develop quality officials for generations to come.

In one article, Kurt describes NIRSA’s Student Officials Development program, which has a long history of serving as a high-quality source of well-trained officials. He explains some of the shared goals of the program and the ODA—especially the need to recruit and retain young officials. The in-game training experiences and skillsets learned through the Student Officials Development Program offer a grassroots solution to the nationwide shortage of young officials.

NIRSA and the NIRSA Foundation recently launched the Student Officials Development Campaign, which seeks to ensure leadership development and officials training for the next generation of students through the Student Officials Development Program.

To build momentum in the campaign, Darci Doll, Associate Director – Intramural Sports at the University of Texas at Austin, issued the Darci Doll’s Officials Challenge. She asks current officials to donate the equivalent amount of one game’s check from their highest officiating level to the Student Officials Development Campaign. Kurt readily accepted the challenge.

“I’ve been a long-time supporter of the NIRSA Foundation, and I am delighted to see the challenge by Darci Doll in support of the Student Officials Development Campaign,” says Kurt. “Giving one game fee to a cause that is so near and dear to my heart was an easy decision. The opportunities I have had through the NIRSA Championship Series have helped me become the professional I am today. And knowing my donation helps current and future student officials is very comforting.”

To read all about Kurt and the common goals of NIRSA and the ODA, subscribe to Referee Magazine. And check out the recent NIRSA officials spotlight on Greg Allensworth to explore the lifelong impact of officiating in campus recreation.