Mike Goodwin officiates a girls soccer game. (Photo provided by Mike Goodwin)
As much as fans often dismiss and denigrate referees, there is a symbiotic relationship between officials, coaches and players. Without any of those three, there couldn’t be official games of any kind played at any level.
Mike Goodwin is an official in Fairbanks who enjoys giving back to the games he played and even those he didn’t because he understands the vital importance of officials in all sports.
“The way I like to put it is if there are no officials there, you just have a scrimmage or at best, practice,” Goodwin said. “We are the necessary evil but you can’t have games without us.”
Alaska has been dealing with a shortage of officials for years, especially when it comes to football. Part of why they are constantly recruiting to replenish their ranks is because of barrage of disparaging comments and behavior officials sometimes face.
“Nationwide, there’s a shortage and generally the data indicates that the reason we have a shortage is that parents and fans have sportsmanship issues and run off new first- and second-year officials,” Alaska Sports and Activities Director of Officials Brian Hosken said.
He is secretary assigner for the Anchorage Football Officials Association which means he is responsible for assigning officials to all the football games in town. Hosken is also the trainer for new officials and puts out the training modules as well ensures rules updates are distributed.
According to a National Officiating Survey conducted by the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) in 2023, the average age for sport officials in increasing.
Alvin Aramburo, right, officiates a football game. (Photo provided by Alvin Aramburo)
Alvin Aramburo of Anchorage is 70 years old and has been an official for 20-plus years. He claims the average age for the officials in Alaska is in the 60s.
In the offseason, Hosken spends a lot of time looking at plays and reviewing them through an official’s lens and holds various training sessions with returning fledgling officials which continue during the season.
He believes that if he can get an official to commit for three-plus years, they’re more likely to endure indefinitely.
“Getting them over that hump for the first or second year without having somebody abusing them to the point where they don’t want to come back, if we can get them to come back, then they stick around,” Hosken said.
Mental fortitude needed to last
Being an official isn’t as simple as just hustling up and down a court, field or rink and blowing a whistle. They have to be mentally tough to withstand the disparaging remarks and not wilt under the pressure that comes with the job.
“You’ve got to either love it or have a thick skin because putting up with some of the stuff we have to deal with, sometimes coaches and parents kind of make it a little difficult,” Aramburo said.
It requires someone to commit to developing deep knowledge and understanding of the rules and have a trained eye when it comes to where and when to look for possible infractions.
“In order to do it right, it takes a fair amount of studying of rules, watching videos and trying to get better because we can tell (the difference between) those who are just out there to collect money and those who are out there to actually officiate,” Goodwin said.
Hosken worked in education for 31 years and is a former principal. That background is invaluable when it comes to interacting with students, coaches and parents.
“Having that grace and that mental aptitude was necessary for me to work in the school district for such a long time and a lot of those characteristics carry over onto the field,” he said.
Stretched thin due to increasing demand
With the official sanctioning of flag football last year and more programs around the state popping up, the already shorthanded officials for the two forms of the sport are stretched even thinner.
This has forced Hosken to adjust normal standards to accommodate the increasing demand for their services.
Referee Brian Hosken does a coin toss prior to the Service High Cougars’ 12-6 victory over East High Thunderbirds on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. (Bill Roth / ADN)
“Normally on a varsity football game, I’ll put five guys,” Hosken said. “I’d like to have more and on certain games depending on the level of varsity play, whether they’re division I, II or III, I will put maybe four guys on a game.”
Having fewer the customary amount of officials for flag or tackle football can increase the likelihood of potential infractions going unnoticed.
This could impact the outcome of games and potentially swing seasons in one way or another for a team.
“We’re at the point now where I need some officials and I’m not sure how it’s going to play out just numbers-wise,” Hosken said.
For the first weekend of the 2025 high school football season he’s going to need eight crews covering games and doesn’t have enough to field full crews.
Anyone interested officiating can visit the Anchorage Football Association’s website to find out the dates and times of their training schedule.
“We basically put you through several hours of classroom discussion and training,” Hosken said. “We will then try to point you in the direction of YouTube videos that are very good and some that we have even made and then we attend scrimmages that first weekend and I’m going to put you in stripes on the field the following Thursday for a (freshman) team game and let you have at it.”
They have a mentoring program where they pair experienced officials with new recruits during their first few games. The AFA’s next training session for the upcoming season will be held at West High School in the portable classroom near the football field on Thursday at 6 p.m.
Sales pitch and perks
There are tangible and intangible benefits to becoming an official such as being close to the action at all times and giving back to the younger generation so that they can make lifelong memories through sports.
“If we want to keep the games alive, we need officials to come out and keep the game alive,” Sitka official Troy Wingard said. “You can’t take what people say to heart. You’ve got to realize that every time we blow the whistle, 50% of the people are mad.”
There’s also financial benefits to becoming an official that includes getting paid as much as $94 for officiating a varsity football game.
“If you put your time in and become proficient in the activity, there are opportunities to make some decent money,” Hosken said.
Back Judge Lance Dickey, left, Referee Brian Hosken, center, and Line Judge Dan Murakami officiated the Service / East flag football game at Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. (Bill Roth / ADN)
Last year, he called nearly 60 games between flag and tackle football which added up to a substantial amount.
“It’s an opportunity to give back to the community and the other benefit is that you actually get paid for it,” Aramburo said. “We get paid pretty good for the games we officiate so it puts some extra change in the pocket.”
He joked that his wife becomes a widow during the high school football season. But after it ends, they also use the funds he earned calling games to go on a nice vacation.
Most basketball officials will work 120 games a year and softball officials are busy throughout the spring and summer working high school and adult league games.
“Sure we all have a position where we want to give back to the game but we aren’t doing it for free,” Hosken said.