We must because we are getting older, the players are getting younger, and the officials are getting older. “It’s important that we bring up newer officials. It makes a player more solid.”Īdding to the young officials’ knowledge base are after-action reviews with more experienced officials like Karl Martin and Pete Ulibarri, who know their profession is hurting for new blood. I know more about traveling, so it’s easier not to travel now as a player. You got to learn a lot of things,” Herschbach said. It’s not all glitz and glamor either, and studying for the test to become certified is challenging. It gives us more respect for the referees whenever we don’t get stuff their jobs are tough,” Zamora said. “It helps a lot as a player just seeing the floor and everything. 9, Stephens, Ayden Herschbach, Joe Zamora, and Jeff Stuteville were busy calling the sub varsity games for the boys “There’s also the benefit of better understanding basketball.” You get paid $55 for JV games and $45 for junior high,” Krae Stephens said. Krae Stephens focuses on the tight play in front of him. There are chances for players to earn money while the school saves money by not having to pay travel and per diem for more officials. Julian being among the officials assigned to college basketball is proof Magdalena’s is providing more than people to call their program’s games, and it’s providing opportunities for student-athletes. ![]() I started with the JV C teams, and I’ve been calling for five years, and now, suddenly, I’m ready for college basketball,” Julian said. “I started officiating high school games after I graduated. Now, the Socorro firefighter/EMT is calling games at the college level. With work and dedication, the job can take you to higher levels of the game like it has Kyle Julian, who played on the Steers varsity (2020 graduate) and got his official certification as a sophomore. ![]() “I think it gives them a better understanding and appreciation of what the job takes.” “Oh, 100 percent they know what it’s like to be on the other side of the curtain,” Mirabal said. ![]() There was also a natural progression in the basketball IQ of his players, who have developed a well-rounded understanding of the game and what it’s like to walk in an official’s shoes. Then, in conjunction with NMAA, when they started pushing to recruit officials, that carried over, and it was a natural progression for those kids to go from Little League to junior high and JV games,” Mirabal said. “If we wanted to go back, it started in 2010 because that’s when we started our kids coaching and officiating our little league. Magdalena had begun hosting quite a few tournaments at all levels of play, and it was taxing the NMMA’s officials’ program. The New Mexico Activities Association had already begun a recruitment program to attract more people into officiating when Mirabal hit upon the idea of turning his players into certified officials. It’s a move that has paid for itself in many ways. Sparked by a need for more basketball officials around the state eight years ago, Magdalena coach Jori Mirabal began an officiating program with a plan of hanging whistles around the neck of his varsity players.
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