A program sponsored in part by four Division III conferences that encourages college students to become referees is expanding through middle Atlantic states as it begins its second year.

More than 100 college students registered and were tested earlier this year through the Students of Today are Referees of Tomorrow (START) program to become scholastic sports officials and umpires.

The program is sponsored by Division III’s Capital Athletic Conference, Centennial Conference, Colonial States Athletic Conference and Middle Atlantic Conference, and Division II’s Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, in conjunction with Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.

The leagues are sponsoring the program to encourage students to enter scholastic officiating as an avocation and ultimately to advance to the collegiate level.

START programs feature instruction and testing in baseball, softball, lacrosse, track and field, field hockey, soccer, and volleyball.

This year, the program expands from Pennsylvania into Delaware and Maryland and also is exploring expansion into New Jersey and Virginia, as well as Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.

All college students are eligible to participate in the program, not just students attending the host institution of START events. Efforts are made to publicize the START program events at all nearby colleges and universities. The START program is also open to faculty, staff, administrators and fans interested in becoming an official in any sport.

START programs were held last year at Alvernia, Cabrini, Franklin & Marshall and York (Pennsylvania).

York, a Capital Athletic Conference member, will host its third START program beginning September 24, featuring courses for basketball, swimming and wrestling officiating candidates.

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association provides sport instructors as well as educational and testing material for the program.  The PIAA also waves its registration fee for new officials in the START program.

Another CAC member, Stevenson, will host a START program in conjunction with the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association September 30, and CAC member Wesley is working with the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association to organize a START program for October 6.

Those programs are one-night “recruitment” events for all sports. Prospective officials will register with an officiating chapter or association and follow that group’s normal recruitment, training and testing program.

Other conferences considering programs this year include the PSAC and Division III’s Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference, New Jersey Athletic Conference, Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) and President’s Athletic Conference, as well as Division II’s Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.