Being a referee is a thankless job — there’s no way around it.
But someone has to do it, which has become increasingly apparent with the ref shortage that has led the BIIF to shuffle the football schedule for the 2015 season.
“With one call, 50 percent of the crowd will hate you and the other 50 percent will love you,” veteran official Lyle Cabacungan said.
Cabacungan is a referee-lifer with more than 40 years of experience. Through the year, he can be spotted at just about every type of youth sporting event on the island wearing the stripes.
“I just love officiating and being in the moment,” Cabacungan said. “I’ve gone through some bad calls and some good calls, but I always learn.”
When asked why he refs, Cabacungan had a simple answer.
“It’s all about the kids — whether it’s football, baseball, basketball or any other sport,” he said. “The main concern is safety of the athletes and being fair. That’s our job.”
Cabacungan boils down the five essential characteristics of a quality official as: knowledge of the game, philosophy, appearance, judgment and communication.
And just like being a top-tier athlete, being a good referee requires a certain mindset. It takes blocking out boos and sometimes profanity-laced comments from the crowd and focusing on the task at hand.
“There are a lot of people who want to officiate, but can’t handle the fans. They cannot handle the criticism,” Cabacungan said. “Some people aren’t built with that mentally. It’s all about how you handle yourself.”
For some, a money incentive can sometimes balance out the feeling of not having a friend in the world. However, when asked about the pay, Cabacungan was vague but assured it’s not a lucrative industry.
“It’s not enough,” he said with a laugh.
But for the now-retired Cabacungan, it was never about the money. He enjoys staying in shape and feeling like an active contributor to the community through officiating.
“You really have to understand the role of being in that position,” he said. “You are kind of like a coach, teacher and parent on the field.”
For more information on becoming on becoming a BIIF football referee, visit bigislandfootball.com