By Chris

The answer? A sports referee! But seriously, all joking aside, being a referee is a very fun and rewarding job. It is considered as a position of power in the sporting world, and it is taken very seriously. It is up to the referee(s) to officiate games fairly and to the best of their ability. Sure there are times when people and coaches will give referees a hard time, but that’s the way it always has been and that’s the way it always will be. And if anyone ever takes it too far, you can always throw them out!

The best part about refereeing is that you can get started at an early age. While youth sports are very competitive, they are not as important as high school and collegiate athletics, and many recreation and youth programs are willing to hire young adults to officiate these  games. I have friends that have umped little league baseball games, reffed youth lacrosse games as well recreation league soccer games. There’s some nice pocket change that comes along with the gig, averaging around $25 a game. Ask around and check with your local recreation office and see what kind of opportunities are out there. 

For those of you who want to be involved in a higher level of athletics, check out your state’s athletic association page for further details.

What do you have to lose? You can finally prove that you are better than those other bozo refs and make money being around the sport you love!

Photo credit: avinashkunnath