Officiating A High Level Of The Game

As everyone knows I enjoy being able to promote officiating in various sports mainly due to working as an official in various sports thanks to my Dad who also officiated.

While it’s a thankless task its not in the cards for everyone mainly due to the verbal abuse from PARENTS who know very little about the rules of the game and are only focused on winning at all cost.

Sad but true and over the past years I personally have seen several quality young officials quit all due to the abuse.

Parents seem to think its allowed to both shout and holler verbal abuse at young officials not thinking of how hurtful their words are.

Over the course of my officiating span doing various sports I have had the privilege to work with several great individuals who were in the game for the love of the sport.

Having said that, not all officials officiate for that reason and given today’s world there are many in the game ONLY for the money.

At times I get asked to assign officials to games and it sounds sad to say but quite often the first question I get asked is “how much do I get paid and why not more.”

Thankfully these individuals are a “dime a dozen” and are in the sport for the wrong reason which is sad as some have the talent to go far, but chose not to.

This is the same with all sports and if asked some assignors (but not all) will tell you they can name these individuals prior to the start of the season.

Regardless of the sport it happens and not just in BC but across the country and around the world.

He retired, putting his whistle away to manage the Burnaby Junior Lakers Club from 1995-1999 and became the team manager and equipment manager as his career was winding down as an on-floor official. 

Ron began as an Intermediate and Jr. lacrosse referee in 1976. Over the next 30+ years, Crosato officiated 11 Mann Cups, 8 Minto Cups, the 1978 Commonwealth Games and the final game at the Nations ’80 World Box Lacrosse championships. 

This 5 time Jimmy Gunn Award winner as top Sr. lacrosse referee, also served as Referee in Chief, Referee Allocator, Clinician and Senior Referee Evaluator. 

No other WLA referee has handled as many games – 408 league, 146 playoff and 26 Mann Cup contests for an incredible 580 games at the Senior ‘A’ level. 

Near the end of his career he was hired by the professional National Lacrosse League (2001-10) as an on-floor official. 

Ron is the five-time Jimmy Gunn award winner and senior official who has served as referee allocator, RIC and senior referee elevator who has officiated 408 league games, 126 playoffs, 26 Mann Cup and 580 games at the Senior A level.

He was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2013 as well as being inducted into the Burnaby Hall of Fame as well as the St.  Thomas Moore Collegiate Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. 

While Ron is no longer officiating as an active “on-floor” official, young officials would learn a lot if they could sit and have a chat with Ron.