National Officials Appreciation Week Spotlight: Brooke Mayo
NFHS Fall Officials Appreciation Week runs Oct. 1-7 and, in order to celebrate, we’re highlighting some of the outstanding officials who help enrich the lives of Colorado’s high school student-athletes.
Brooke Mayo is one of our standout soccer officials. Mayo has 21 years of officiating experience, and although she’s only been with CHSAA for one season, she has notably spent over two decades officiating for the United States Soccer Federation, and officiated the Women’s World Cup Final in 2023.
To offer your support and appreciation to Mayo, you can find her officiating soccer this Thursday night at Libery Common.
How long have you been an official for CHSAA?
First Year
How long have you been an official overall?
21 years
What other organizations have you officiated for, and when did you officiate for them?
I have been a USSF official since 2002. I was a TSSAA (Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association) from 2011-2013 and again in 2022. I have been a FIFA AR since 2018.
Why do you officiate high school sports?
High school officiating provided me one of my first opportunities to travel, which was the Tennessee State Championships in Chattanooga, TN. That opportunity and the friendships I made, helped spark my interest in advancing my referee career. I then served as the head soccer coach at Stewarts Creek High School with the girls program for 2 years, then the boys for 8 years. I personally know how hard these coaches and teams work to be at their best and they deserve to have 3 officials during their matches. It’s a great way to get involved with your local soccer community.
What would you tell someone that wanted to try and start working as an official?
Do it! You will develop skills that can transfer to any career. You never know what opportunities will come from officiating these matches and meeting new, like minded people.
What’s the most rewarding part of officiating high school sports?
I love to be in the middle of a competitive match and when the match ends, you know each team had a fair opportunity to compete. But that’s a fleeting feeling. The most rewarding feeling are the friendships you make working with other officials that carry on after the final whistle blows.
Do you have a favorite memory from officiating high school sports?
I have plenty of stories, but one that makes me laugh every time I think about it. In Tennessee, I was probably 21 or 22 when we were car pooling to a boys playoff match in a rural part of the state. Once we pulled up to the school, I realized my cleats were not in my bag. I ended up working the match in the 4th officials cleats, which were probably 5 sizes too big. I am happy to announce I did not trip once in the match.
How does your experience as a player impact your officiating style?
I played 4 years at Tennessee Tech University. I believe it is a little difficult when you are first transitioning from player to referee as you find yourself having subconscious bias towards how you liked the game played. But with experience and continued education that slowly fades away. As a former player, you also have advantages, because you know how to read the game, different tactics, and empathy.
Can you describe what it was like getting to officiate a World Cup Final?
It was truly a dream come true. It was the biggest, most watched, most attended Womens World Cup in history. I have been working for years to have the opportunity to be an official at the Womens World Cup. The years leading up to the tournament, you are constantly sacrificing time away from your home, pushing yourself to your physical limits, and studying the game. You are frequently questioning yourself, especially on the hard days, is all this worth it? Yes, yes it is. Even if I had not been selected for the final, it all would have been worth it. There is something so empowering about setting goals and reaching them through hard work.
Did you learn anything or take anything from that experience that impacts how you officiate CHSAA games?
I spent 45 days in Australia & New Zealand training, practicing and participating in technical sessions every day. Not to mention, the almost 3 years leading up to the tournament where we spent 20+ days doing the same thing at the Maurice Revello tournament in France and U20 World Cup in Costa Rica. These types of experiences have provided me with a high level of confidence in my decision making that I bring to CHSAA games.
