Interview

Former college athlete Kyla Dinkel has spent 15 years officiating Alaska basketball, recently making history as part of the state’s first-ever all-female referee crew for a state championship game. In this interview, she offers an unfiltered look at surviving mental burnout, the tight-knit community behind the whistle, and the technical love for the game that keeps her returning to the hardwood season after season.

We spoke with Donnie Souders, NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball National Coordinator of Officials, about his officiating journey, the evolution of the women’s game, and what it will take to strengthen the officiating pipeline.

In collaboration with our partners at Sports Officials Care and our friends at Major League Baseball, as a part of ESPN’s “Take Back Sports” initiative, Jim Joyce, longtime MLB umpire, shares how chasing perfection in officiating can lead to frustration, and how accountability and credibility can lead sports officials through tough situations.

Sports officiating requires preparation, composure, and the ability to make confident decisions in fast-moving environments. For many officials, the profession becomes something more than simply enforcing rules on the field or court. For Kristopher Loving, officiating has become a way to serve others and help develop the next generation of sports officials.

We interviewed respected educator Brennan Torgerson, who recently retired from his role as the business teacher from Buhler High School in Kansas. His long career spans 35 years of high school teaching, with 20 years spent at Buhler. In his retirement, he remains active, continuing his role as the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Coordinator and coaching boys and girls golf at Buhler, plus teaching an online class for Hutchinson Community College. Brennan's passion for st