Be the Referee: Always Stay Registered
September 14, 2017
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl relays a quick story of how a retired NFL official stepped in to give a pair of junior varsity teams a chance to play another game this season.
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment – Always Stay Registered - Listen
As Thursday night of Labor Day weekend arrived, with a full slate of football games having long been scheduled, a late junior varsity game was added at the last minute.
The problem was that most officiating crews had already been assigned to other games months in advance.
That’s when one of Michigan’s most decorated officials, retired NFL and three-time Super Bowl official Dean Look, stepped up to help out. Dean, along with four other area officials, put together a crew for that night, so these two junior varsity teams could play.
Many officials from our state who have moved up the ladder to the college and professional ranks have kept their MHSAA registration current to help out on nights like this at the last minute.
Past editions
September 7: Other Football Rules Changes - Listen
August 31: Pop-Up Onside Kicks - Listen
August 24: Blindside Blocks - Listen
Kalamazoo's Winter a Pro in the Fall
July 19, 2012
Kalamazoo's Ron Winter has been part of just about every major event possible on a football field with more than four decades officiating high school, college and now National Football League games.
He can appreciate each level for what makes it special. And he's passed on those experiences and lessons galore to young officials and students at Western Michigan University.
Winter -- and MHSAA registered official the last 42 years -- was appointed earlier this month to serve a two-year term on the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports.
Click to read more about what he enjoys about each level of the game, and for his advice for young officials looking to join him at the highest level.