Carl Vigil has been officiating games in New Mexico for two decades and is now the New Mexico Activities Association’s commissioner of officials. He’s witnessed a decline in referee staffing, which has become a problem nationwide in part because of the abuse officials endure from fans. 

Vigil joins the latest episode of “The Sports Den” with Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron to discuss bad fan behavior, the struggle of recruiting and retaining officials, and much more. 

The guys ask Vigil if, as some have suggested, New Mexico’s referee shortage has reached a crisis level. He also discusses how the median age of officials has been on the rise, making it critical to recruit young officials as others age out. 

A former athlete at Las Vegas Robertson and New Mexico Highlands, Vigil talks about what got him into officiating. Will and James ask him who was the better athlete between him and his brother, Curtis Vigil, and who is now the better referee. 

Vigil also discusses what it takes to be a good official, the teamwork and communication that connect a crew, the wear and tear referees can experience, and how he goes about choosing officials to staff state tournaments. He closes by sharing his Mount Rushmore of officials from New Mexico and makes a plea to fans to help improve behavior toward referees.

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