LANSING, Mich. — For 90 minutes, all eyes are on the boys playing soccer. At the end, fans, coaches and teammates walk away only remembering when someone scored, which goalkeeper made the crucial save, and most importantly, the final score.
However, the three people in the often neon-colored shirts are only acknowledged when someone disagrees with a call they make.
Every game depends on them. Games cannot happen without referees.
Across Mid-Michigan, higher-ranking soccer officials work tirelessly to recruit new referees, retain experienced ones, and ensure that every match has enough officials for it to happen. Beyond the constant game management is a job that offers flexibility and a way for individuals who are passionate about soccer to stay connected to the sport.
Stephan Holland, president of the Greater Lansing Area Soccer Referees Association (GLASRA) which oversees around 120 local referees, has seen just about every reason why new officials get into it and older ones stick around during his 13-year officiating tenure.
“For me, the satisfaction of it was seeing if we could get a game done with nobody getting injured, nobody getting angry with one another, and everyone getting equal attention. So, it's the management aspect of the game that I enjoy,” Holland said.
There are countless reasons a referee gets involved with soccer. Some like the additional income — anywhere from $25 to $150 depending on the league — and consider it an easy second job that gets them outside. Others do it based on both a love of the sport and passion for ensuring games happen.
“Everybody wants to make sure the kids get to play. If there’s a game out in Fowlerville, for example, and they need a referee, a lot of our referees genuinely want the game to be played and genuinely want those kids to play,” said Holland.
Refereeing comes with downsides that can outweigh the positives the profession offers.
Officials listen to fans and parents berate them for over an hour. A referee’s decision, right or wrong, can quickly turn into hostile criticism from the sidelines. The competitive nature of the game causes coaches and players tempers to flare as time progresses and the center referee is left to manage each instance individually.
It may seem like an inconvenient part of the job, but it’s not just an unpleasant situation. It determines whether referees decide to come back year after year.
“Unfortunately, that’s the reason we lose a lot of referees, due to the stress and anxiety they suffer at a game when dealing with adults and their kids,” Holland said.
The officials who step away because of those challenges have to be replaced, making the recruitment of younger officials essential to the rebound of referee numbers. Not only are older referees still officiating, but they are also advocates for bringing new ones in.
Tom Minter, 81, received his 60th certificate of recognition from the MHSAA this past spring, acknowledging his milestone of six decades in high school officiating. He started as a college soccer player before pivoting to refereeing, allowing him to turn his favorite hobby into a career and help him stay active in his older years. Still, he recruits younger officials to help replenish the pool.
“One of the concerns we have is that we need a lot more young folks to take my place,” Minter said. “There’s a strange gap between us old guys and women at the tail end of our careers and the group of people just starting.”
The GLASRA’s focus has been on recruiting more young athletes to help bridge the gap. On senior nights, members of the association and referees hand out business cards and encourage graduating athletes to consider officiating as a way to stay involved with the sport, which Minter said “works to some extent.”
Bringing in new officials helps maintain a sustainable number but it doesn’t solve the issues that drive some to quit. Minter said referees have to draw the line when a coach’s behavior becomes disruptive.
“There’s a saying we have in officiating when talking to coaches about calls they don’t like: ‘If you want to talk about the call, that’s fine, but don’t talk about me,’” said Minter. “A coach can say I made a bad call, that happens, but you cross the threshold when you say I’m a bad referee. That makes it personal.”
The special moments can outweigh the difficult times, as Holland remembers the one game, Dansville vs. Laingsburg in 2023, that made him appreciate why he became an official.
“There was a game one time between two rival teams and I was called out to [officiate] it solo. I was worried about the outcome, especially because the teams had history, but all of the players were just thankful I was there. They were just happy they could play and that means a lot.”