skip navigation

Former Wrestler Giving Back to Sport as Referee as Sport Struggles with Shortage of Officials

By SWX, 01/16/20, 1:30PM PST

Share

Because of a shortage of officials, new referees are fast-tracked into officiating varsity matches within two or three years.

Conner Krouse finished his high school wrestling career in 2017 with his arm raised and his head held high.

As a 195-pound senior from Chewelah, Washington, Krouse needed just 50 seconds to pin his opponent from King’s Way Christian to win the third-place match at the state wrestling tournament in the Tacoma Dome.

He earned a medal at Mat Classic in each of the four years of his prep career.

The problem Krouse faced, one he shares with the vast majority of wrestlers across the state of Washington, is that while he had reached the end of his wrestling career, he did not want to be done with wrestling.