Serving the Officiating Community: Kristopher Loving on Referee Mentorship and Education

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. Kristopher currently works as a Big Ten football referee, officiates high school basketball, and serves sports officials through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). He has also refereed girls lacrosse, and is the founder of Save Our Sports, an organization focused on helping individuals grow through their journey as sports officials.

As sports officiating continues to face challenges in recruitment and retention across many sports, voices like Kristopher’s highlight an important part of the solution: supporting officials not only with rules knowledge and mechanics, but also with mentorship, community, and purpose. And as it continues to grow and evolve, referee education and training programs are becoming an important part of preparing the next generation of officials.

We recently spoke with Kristopher about his officiating career, the importance of mentorship, and the impact officiating can have far beyond the game.

Discovering Officiating

Like many officials, Kristopher discovered the profession through the influence of mentors. “It clicked pretty quickly,” he said. “I was blessed with some good mentors and trainers early on that showed me how to do things the right way.”

Mentorship is a recurring theme in officiating development. For many people learning how to become a referee, having experienced mentors who model professionalism, preparation, and game management can accelerate learning and build confidence.

Over time, Kristopher said his view of officiating expanded beyond simply working games.

Finding purpose in officiating can often sustain officials through the long hours, travel, and challenges that come with the profession.

Officiating with Purpose

When asked about the scope of his work, Kristopher explained that the titles only tell part of the story.

“Who I am and what I do is ministry,” he said. “I'm blessed to do it uniquely through being a sports official and an Area Representative for FCA. FCA's vision is to see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches, athletes, and sports officials. Our mission is to lead every one of these people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His church. My main role is to add 'sports officials' to the core of what we do and who we serve."

Programs and initiatives like this highlight something many experienced officials recognize: officiating can be a powerful platform for personal development. Through the discipline of learning rules, managing games, and interacting with players and coaches, officials develop skills that translate far beyond athletics.

Supporting Officials Through FCA

While organizations like FCA have served coaches and athletes for decades, Kristopher recognized that sports officials often lacked the same support systems.

In his role with FCA, he works to include officials in opportunities that promote community, mentorship, and personal growth. These efforts include organizing officiating camps, hosting gatherings and retreats, and providing support resources for officials navigating both the professional and personal aspects of their careers.

Kristopher believes creating those spaces can make a meaningful difference.

“Just as the coaches and athletes benefit from having a space and resources for health, mental, and a safe space for spiritual guidance, officials can gain confidence and perform better both at work and in life.”

For many officials, especially those early in their careers, having a support network can be just as important as learning rules or mechanics. The officiating profession can often feel isolating, and building community helps officials stay engaged and continue developing.

Lessons from Early Games

Looking back on his early officiating experiences, Kristopher quickly recognized the influence officials have on those around them.

“I realized that I serve as an influential figure and role model to the players and sometimes the spectators,” he said. “That combined with the ministry calling continues to influence my behavior, attitude, and the way I treat people.”

Officials are often among the most visible authority figures in youth and high school sports. How they communicate, handle conflict, and manage challenging situations can leave lasting impressions on athletes and coaches.

Another important lesson Kristopher learned involved communication with coaches and players:

“When I used to be defensive or try to prove I was right, it wouldn’t end well or peacefully, and it wouldn’t help the game,” he said. “Listening to how more experienced officials handled situations helped me respond better. It made games more fun and built credibility.”

For officials at every level, communication and composure are essential skills that help maintain control of the game while fostering mutual respect.

Kristopher also credits several habits for helping him continue improving throughout his career. These include active listening, effective communication, consistent rules study, and practicing movement and signals. “Listening to appreciate and understand as opposed to listening to respond,” he said, has been especially important.

What Makes a Great Official

When asked what separates a good official from a great one, Kristopher pointed to a combination of technical knowledge and interpersonal skills.

“Being a great communicator, composure, confidence, humility, knowing and applying the rules accordingly, and managing games and people.” Those qualities are developed through experience and repetition, and are often emphasized in officiating development programs because they help officials manage games and communicate effectively.

“A lot of it is experience,” he said. “You need a platform to practice applying what you know. Being competent helps you become confident.”

Early in his career, Kristopher believed he had already mastered the basics. “I thought I was good early on. I was in shape and knew the game,” he said. “But taking the next step was knowing when to apply the rules and knowing how to explain it.” Learning from veteran officials helped him continue developing, and played an important role in helping him refine his approach.

The Importance of Mentorship

Mentorship remains one of the most important factors in officiating development. “It is nearly impossible to succeed in officiating alone,” Kristopher said. “It is hard to truly learn and grow without mentors to show you the way.”

Across many sports, officiating organizations report that a large percentage of new officials leave within the first few years. “Many new officials quit in the first two years,” he explained. “A major reason is because they have no one to walk with them through the early journey.”

Strong referee mentorship programs can help new officials develop confidence and remain in the profession longer. They can help address this challenge by providing guidance, encouragement, and feedback during those early years.

Officiating's Influence Outside of Sports

Officiating has also influenced Kristopher’s life outside of sports. “As I've grown as an official, I've grown as a husband, father, minister, friend, employee, and just as a person overall.”

He said officiating has helped him develop patience, improve communication, and better handle conflict. “Learning patience, making quick decisions, being a good listener — those things carry into everyday life,” he said.

Kristopher also believes officiating helps young officials develop skills that benefit them well beyond sports. These include effective communication, patience, composure, conflict management, study skills, critical thinking, and business management.

Advice for New Officials

Despite challenges facing the profession, Kristopher remains optimistic about the future of officiating.

“There's more access to it,” he said. “There's more technology and other resources committed to it. Younger officials are taking more leadership roles in mentoring and training.” As more organizations invest in referee training and officiating education, opportunities for young officials to enter the profession continue to expand.

For anyone considering becoming a sports official, Kristopher encourages starting with purpose. “Come in with a purpose and a ‘why,’ but be open to that evolving over time,” he said.

He notes that people often enter the profession for simple reasons. “It's okay to come in for superficial reasons like making extra money or having fun. That's how I started.” Over time, however, that purpose can grow into something more meaningful. “I was open to a greater purpose, and when I found it, I let that fuel me.”

We would like to thank Kristopher Loving for taking the time to share his experiences and insights with the RefReps community. His perspective on mentorship, personal development, and supporting sports officials highlights how impactful officiating can be both on and off the field.

If you would like to connect with Kristopher, you can reach him via email at kloving@fca.org or by calling him at (651) 334-4163. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn.