Enjoy the games!

Officials at local high school games usually earn roughly $50-$60 per game, according to MagicValley.com (Photo Courtesy: Idaho8Man)

It's a Friday afternoon which means, shortly, 8-man football games all over the state of Idaho will be kicking off. So it's about time for the obligatory reminder:

It's just a game. It's supposed to be fun.

Fans across Idaho will turn out at local fields to support their sons and daughters, grandchildren, neighbors, classmates and friends. We all owe it to them - and ourselves - to make the experience as positive as possible.

Volunteers will help staff the game, officials will travel (sometimes a pretty good distance) to work the game, coaches have dedicated a lot of time to prepare the two teams prepare for the game.

They won't all be perfect tonight. Calls will get missed, an order may be served incorrectly, the ticket booth may run out of game programs. But, rest assured, no one is trying to ruin anyone's evening. They want you to leave with a smile on your face and happy memories every bit as much as you do.

Support your team. Be loud, be proud. But, please, keep it positive.

We're sure you're tired of being preached at when it comes to this topic, but facts are facts. Game officials (referees/umpires) are walking away at an alarming rate and, without them, there are no games to be played:

"From the 2011-12 season to 2016-17, every high school sport in Idaho saw a drop in total number of officials, according to data provided by the Idaho High School Activities Association.

According to several District 4 officials, fan abuse is the largest reason for the decrease in officials."

(Source: MagicValley.com)

The primary motive in starting @Idaho_8_Man on Twitter was to provide positive promotion of the kids, teams and communities of 8-man football in Idaho, largely because we've seen the drop in attention paid to these programs in recent years. Cuts in local media often leads to people joking, "nice to see you remembered where we are," when they see a reporter or a TV camera at the game. Just remember, it isn't that person's fault. They're the foot soldier. Thank them for being there, ask them if they need anything. It might be enough to ensure they come back again for another game.

Same with the referees. They could stay home on Friday nights instead of officiating games on your fields and in your gyms. But they're there. They're doing their best. If you thank them for being there rather than reminding them of a missed holding call in the second quarter, that might be enough for them to keep doing games. And the more we have calling games, the more games we can play.

And, at the end of the day, isn't that what is the most important? That the kids on our communities continue to have something constructive and healthy to do with their time?

We all can help. Be supportive of your teams and be supportive of the people who are helping make sure the games get played. As cliche as it sounds, it's true. If we do that ... we all win.

#Idaho8Man