Officials Appreciation Week: Gary Strubel
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In honor of Spring Officials Appreciation Week, the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) is celebrating some of its spring sport officials on social media and CHSAANow.com, while member schools are encouraged to celebrate officials, as well. This can be achieved in several ways, both big and small. All of which is meant to say, thank you officials!
If you’re interested in becoming an official, fill out this form and CHSAA will contact you, or learn more information about officiating in Colorado.
This is my 34 year officiating track & field in the State of Colorado.
How did you get involved with officiating?
I started volunteering at track & field meets in 1972 at School District 60 (Pueblo) at the request of the District 60 Athletic Director Sollie Raso. It was in the spring of 1972 when I was a senior at Southern Colorado State College and student teaching at Centennial H.S. here in Pueblo.
What does it mean to you to be the president of the Colorado Track and Field Officials Association (CFTOA)?
Having been involved in public education for 36 years, it made for a very smooth transition into officiating football and track & field. I taught and coached football, basketball and track & field for seven years in Colorado and on the Indian Reservation in Tuba City, Arizona. I also served as an administrator for 29 years as a Dean of Students, Assistant Principal and Principal at the middle school and high school level, and as an Assistant Superintendent.
After having spent many years in public education teaching, coaching and serving as an administrator, it wasn’t long before I knew that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, especially after I retired a few years back. These officiating experiences allow me to continue my contact with student athletes, coaches, and fellow officials and it continues to inspire me to this day.
Working with these individuals in and outside of Colorado has been the most meaningful experiences I have ever had.
In high school, when I was involved in athletics (football, basketball, track & field), I was fortunate to have some of the best coaches who were also some of the best role models that inspired me to want to attend college, graduate, become a coach and follow in their footsteps. And of course, that inspired and led me to become an official for the past 34 years or so.
When you’re working the state championships this year, what will you be doing? And what does that entail?
At the State Meet again this year, I have been assigned to be the Head Starter. I will not be starting running events, but I am responsible for the four starters that are assigned to start all of the races at the state meet.
One of my responsibilities is to assign each starter to the events they will be starting over the three-day meet and balance it out to the best of my ability for all starters to get an equal opportunity to start sprints, long distances, girls and boys events, etc, so that all athletes have an opportunity to experience the various starters.
I will also be at the start line for all races during those three days dealing with whatever may come up. One of my responsibilities centers around the start of all races. If there is a potential false start, I visit with all four starters as they are at the start of every race to ensure the decision that I make is accurate prior to reporting it to the meet referee; who is KC Logan and also the Rules Interpreter for CHSAA and the State of Colorado.
Every year we collectively recruit new officials to the CTFOA in an attempt to continue producing a strong line of knowledgeable, professional and dedicated officials throughout the state for years to come. Our officials come from various backgrounds and many of them have had experience in the sport of Track & Field and Cross Country. We have been blessed with some of the best officials I have had the opportunity to work with. They not only officiate at the high school level but many also officiate at the college level, as well. The individuals that we seek are those who are student-athlete centered, dedicated, professional, knowledgeable, exceptional role models for the athletes and who are dedicated to following the NFHS and Colorado rules that set a high standard for all officials.
My most memorable moments are when athletes, coaches and parents approach and say thank you for officiating. My second most memorable moment was when I was awarded the Colorado High School Coaches Association “Lloyd Gaskill” Award in 2022. This was “In Recognition of Outstanding Efforts in Support of Colorado High School Athletics”. It was the greatest honor of my career.
What would you tell someone looking to get involved with officiating, specifically track and field?
I would tell anyone who is looking to get involved in officiating track & field to prepare yourself for one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have in your life working with many of the best student-athletes in your lifetime.
