According to data obtained from the Kansas and Missouri state high school athletic associations, both states have seen an increase in participation from five years ago.
The first high school football games kick off next week in Missouri and the week after in Kansas. Meanwhile, the struggle continues to find enough people to officiate.
The referee shortage, especially at the high school level is felt across the country. In Kansas, the new man in charge of trying to recruit officials for high school sports is working to overcome that challenge.