Meet the Referee Fighting for the Future of Youth Sports Officials
Anwar Stetson
On any given weekend across America, millions of kids lace up their cleats, strap on a pair of shin guards, and pull jerseys over their shoulder pads. Parents fill the bleachers. Coaches pace the sidelines. The scoreboard lights up.
And in the middle of it all is perhaps the most thankless job in America: The youth sports referee.
Wyatt Gustafson knows that world all too well. Having worn the stripes himself, the Minnesota-based entrepreneur describes a youth sports world that is disorganized and inconsistent, leading to burned out officials. He saw fellow refs in the industry get scheduled for assignments through old-school email chains, get paid for assignments months late, and sometimes never get paid at all.
It’s hard enough dealing with drunk dads screaming over balls and strikes two hours into an eight-year-old’s baseball game. But the lack of structure in the reffing world pushed Gustafson to make a change.
“There’s no job in the world that pays people three four months after they do work for you. Why should the officiating industry be any different,” Gustafson told Prep Network. “Our thought is, let them show up to the field happy and let them leave the field happy with the pay in their pocket.”
In 2022, Wyatt and his partners co-founded Refr, with the aim of streamlining the referee process.
“We set out to build a specialized [app] for the referee industry where we could take the niches and the needs of the sports industry and operations but incorporate some modern gig economy principles,” Gustafson said.
With youth sports ballooning to a $40 billion industry, it’s more important than ever to give the clubs, players, and fans an experience worthy of investment.
Picture this: An official blocks off Saturday to work three games. On Saturday morning, rain forces a reschedule.
“You’ve got your whole day planned out,” Gustafson said. “And you get a call Saturday morning saying, ‘Hey, sorry it rained.’ Now all the games are tomorrow. You know, that official might have had plans with their family that day, friends. Now they have to cancel all of that last minute for something that’s not even their full-time job, it’s part-time. So there’s frustration there. Now they’re showing up to the field a little frustrated on Sunday. They’re not performing as well. You get yelled at. And then you finish the game and you don’t get paid for months. It’s not always just a stressful experience on the field, but it can be a bad experience off the field, too.”
So how does Refr work?
Youth sports leagues typically do not manage their own officials. They contract that responsibility out to a referee assigner. An assigner might manage 1,500 games a year. They recruit officials, verify certifications, coordinate schedules, confirm availability, handle conflicts of interest, and make sure qualified referees show up to the right field at the right time.
Now imagine doing that through disjointed email chains and text messages.
Refr built a system in-app designed to support those assigners and the sports clubs who use them, while dramatically improving the experience for officials. Through the platform, referees receive assignments directly in the app, see where they need to be and when, understand exactly how much they will earn, and confirm with a tap, thus making life easier for clubs, athletes, and officials.
“Our platform helps facilitate this for all three parties,” Gustafson added. “So most times when referees are coming to our platform, it’s through their referee assigner who is utilizing Refr to help them schedule, communicate, collect availability, and ultimately pay their officials.”
Most importantly, the refs get paid within seven days of their assignment.
“So, not only do they know that they’re making, say, that $50 for that basketball game, but they know that they’re going to be receiving it within seven days, which makes a huge impact,” he added. “And a lot of it, I know, sounds trivial, but unfortunately for the referee industry, it’s just it’s not… I know a bunch of softball umpires in a large state that still haven’t been paid for tournament games that happened in October. It’s just unacceptable.”
Filling that need in the industry has led to growth and investment from major players like software management company Sports Engine, which has helped lead to “millions of dollars” in transactions. At a recent tournament in Orlando, 12,000 referees were assigned using Refr. They’ve also received support from the Minnesota Twins through their Tech Stars initiative.
The life of a ref isn’t easy. When the zebras get all the calls right, no one notices. But as soon as they make a mistake, fans are ready to bite their heads off. Gustafson still tries to work some games as an umpire or hit the ice as a hockey ref when he can. Refs expect some vitriol for their work, but they do it not for the accolades, but simply for the love of the game.
“Something about an individual wearing an umpire uniform, or wearing stripes just takes the human element away from them,” Gustafson says. “People no longer view them as human.”
“I think if we can fix the part we can control, the off-the-field experience, you’re going to see a lot more officials sticking around,” he continued.
Without a whistle, there is no tip-off, kickoff, or first pitch for your young athlete.
The parting word from Wyatt Gustafson, as Refr continues to grow? “Love on your officials, games don’t happen without these individuals.”
In the bottom of the 9th inning with the game on the line, “loving” the refs might be a big ask for most parents. But athletes, clubs, parents, and refs all love the game. As the youth sports industry continues to grow, platforms like Refr bring that love to a thankless job.
“Next time you see an official at your kids’ game, introduce yourself, thank them for what they’re doing, because at the end of the day, if they’re not there, your kids don’t play.”