SPORTS S TUFF

BASKETBALL — Food for thought: As the 2022-23 Montana High School Association girls/boys basketball seasons were nearing the finish line, the topic of refereeing once again resurfaced. This time it was on the front page of the Fairfield Sun Times weekly newspaper based in Fairfield, Montana. The author was Mike Schmidt, Fairfield High School's Athletic Director , who put together the Junior Referee Officiating Clinic hosted by the Fairfield Basketball Club. It was held Saturday, March 18, with 30 girls and boys in grades 6-12 traveling from as far as Anaconda and Havre to participate in the one-day event. The clinic was the first of its kind in Montana and was offered at no cost to participating youth. The idea all along for this clinic had been to pair young participants with seasoned Montana Officials Association (MOA) mem bers so they c...