A summer officiating camp in Lake Cowichan put on by BC Hockey in August was like a visit to a theme park in the eyes of one young 100 Mile House referee, who enjoyed every minute of it and looks forward to wearing the black and white stripes again this winter.
In a world of never enough and falling numbers, an eager and dependable official is a valuable thing, especially in a small centre like 100 Mile House where there are only so many bodies to count on in the first place, explains 100 Mile House & District Hockey Association referee and chief Cale Tessaro, who calls 16-year-old Brandon Balbirnie his “go-to-guy” and a “huge piece” of the local referee association.
“He lives at the rink,” Tessaro says. “He just wants to be out there.”
Indeed, it’s hard to overstate just how much Balbirnie enjoys wearing those stripes. He played midget rep hockey last season and he’s also a boxer and cross country runner. He isn’t playing hockey this winter though because he wants to devote more of his time to officiating, which he speaks about smiling and thoughtfully. He wants to be on the road reffing games in other rinks, and Tessaro has been talking to his junior hockey bosses about this young ref coming up through the ranks.
“The getting paid part is just a perk,” Balbirnie says of the job. “It’s something I definitely want to consider as a career option. It’s great, it’s something I really like to do. Probably the best part about it is just being on the ice, being involved.”
At the five-day camp in Lake Cowichan, Balbirnie earned his Level 2 certification. The referees wrote a test, had classroom sessions and fitness tests.
Balbirnie talks about the importance of the physical endurance component, an aspect of officiating most hockey fans don’t really consider. The refs are on the ice for the whole game after all; they don’t get shifts.
“We were learning to skate more efficiently so we don’t blow ourselves out half way through the game,” Balbirnie explains. “There are two-, three-, four-man systems. It takes a lot of the work off. But at the same time, you’re still thinking all the time, you’re still watching everywhere.”
Balbirnie seems to love every minute of it. However, that said, a too familiar issue comes up again – the verbal abuse officials are subjected to on and off the ice.
It’s something more prevalent in the higher levels, something Balbirnie is getting a taste of now with bantam-level hockey.
“Unfortunately, I’m noticing we’re having a tough time keeping younger officials due to abuse off the ice.”
He mentions a facetious advertisement at the back of a refereeing guidebook he has that says basically yelling at refs will help your team win because referees really like that.
“It also says we lose about 10,000 every year due to that abuse across Canada,” he adds.
Balbirnie admits officiating is not for everybody. But for him, the bad outweighs the good.
“I recommend it for anybody who wants to get a little bit closer to hockey.”
Tessaro says it’s around the age of 15 that referees start to drop out and move on to other things. They quit for different reasons, but being subjected to regular bouts of yelling and swearing can’t help with keeping them around.
There are strategies to maximize the chances of calling a good game, such as partnering experienced and beginner refs together as much as possible, and giving the younger officials the best possible chance to succeed. Something Tessaro keeps in mind when scheduling games.
“I totally know what [Balbirnie’s] going through,” says Tessaro, who also refereed hockey as a teenager and dealt with the same issues that unfortunately persist today.
“He’s got my backing. Every ref does. But especially him because I don’t want to lose him. He’s very valuable and I don’t want him to get discouraged.”
