MOODY: Wrestling makes national news

High school wrestling made the national news this week when an Iowa boy forfeited his opening-round state match because it was against his religious beliefs to wrestle a girl.

Girls in high school wrestling isn't a foreign concept.

More than 6,000 girls competed in high school wrestling during the 2009-10, according to figures released by the National Federation, which governs high school sports.

Five states, including California, have state tournaments only for girls. Two girls competed in this weekend's state tournament at Spanish Springs.

My take on it?

I would prefer girls wrestle girls, but if there aren't enough girls to have girls programs in Nevada, then I say they have every right to wrestle against the guys.

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Officiating is no easy task. It's a thankless job, a job where you are only pleasing half the people each time you make a call, and it's a job where you start perfect and you're supposed to get better from there.

I officiated because I love sports and wanted to be involved in sports after my high school playing days were over. I did basketball, baseball and softball and found basketball to be the toughest by far.

You need to have thick skin to officiate any sport, and the ones that do have thicker skin are usually the better officials. Every official hears the fans, the secret is not to let the fans know that you've heard them, and never react to them.

I was covering the Carson-Damonte Ranch play-in game this past Monday at Wooster, and the Carson fans were yelling at the three officials quite often, mostly out of frustration I think. The fans didn't get vulgar and in my opinion they didn't get personal. One of the officials, late in the second half, ran past the Carson bench and told the fans seated behind the bench to "shut up."

The official in question is a good official and a veteran official. As a veteran, he should be setting the example of how to handle difficult situations. There are some options in high school sports, and had I been in his shoes, I would have used one. At any high school game when a fan is getting out of line, an official can stop play and go to the administrator in charge. A yellow card could be issued or the fan(s) could be ejected. I like it because it's non confrontational.

When I told a friend of mine who is an official in Sacramento what happened at the game, that official was stunned to say the least.

I wish fans would just go and cheer for their team and leave the officiating to the officials, but that's never going to happen. Fans are fans and at times they get passionate because their kids are involved.

I don't believe that officials ever determine the outcome of a game, and if you ask any coach he/she will tell you the same thing.