The Spark
In January 2025, She is Active New Brunswick launched Behind the Whistle, a storytelling series that showcases women officials from across the province. What began as a routine social media post celebrating 3 basketball officials for their recent accomplishment in the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) quickly gained traction. The overwhelming response sparked a bigger idea: Why not create a dedicated series to recognize women officials from across New Brunswick?
The need was clear. Research like the Rally Report 2024 from Canadian Women & Sport continues to show that women and girls remain underrepresented in all areas of sport – as athletes and participants, coaches, officials, and leaders. In New Brunswick specifically, data from the Sport and Recreation Branch of the Department of Tourism, Heritage, and Culture revealed that in 2023-2024, only 30.1% of officials from 41 provincial sport organizations (PSOs) were women.
At She is Active, we work with partners across New Brunswick to increase the participation of women and girls in sport, recreation, and physical activity by breaking down barriers and building capacity among coaches, leaders, and communities. Behind the Whistle is rooted in the belief that representation matters. Sometimes, all it takes is one role model to show someone that they, too, belong in sport. This series gives women officials a platform to share their stories, inspiring others to see themselves in officiating.
Since launching, Behind the Whistle has featured 15 women officials, with plans to continue long-term. Each official shared their successes, challenges, motivations, and the impact officiating has had on their lives. Their stories have been amplified through social media and featured in a 3-episode podcast series to reach broader audiences.
Meet the Women
Explore each official’s story by checking out the posts and podcast episodes here: https://sheisactivenb.ca/behind-the-whistle/
Key Themes: What We Heard
Beyond sharing personal stories, Behind the Whistle uncovered deeper insights into the realities of being a woman in officiating. Four key themes emerged: Community and Support Systems, Developing Skills and Learning, Giving Back, and Challenging Norms.
1. Community and Support Systems
Connection and belonging were at the heart of every story. Officials emphasized the value of community and that collaborating and connecting with fellow officials, coaches, and athletes motivates them to stay involved. For many, officiating has opened doors to connect with people they may have never encountered otherwise, locally, nationally, and internationally.
Support from family, friends, colleagues, their PSO, and the broader referee community were crucial to their continued involvement and growth. Mentorship stood out as a game changer. Mentors encouraged women to take the leap, helped sharpen their skills, and kept them going when they felt discouraged. Many have become mentors themselves, finding joy in seeing their mentees progress. Several also explained the impact of having women mentors, as it felt easier to connect with and relate to other women. “When I accomplished [getting my national certification], it wasn’t just for me, it was an accomplishment for my family, and for our province as well.”
Although Behind the Whistle was not intended as a formal research initiative, the themes align with findings from current literature. A study by Sunde et al. (2024) on the needs, motivations, and retention of female sport officials in Canada found that motivations are tied closely to needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Women typically begin officiating for intrinsic reasons, like a love of sport, but stay involved because of the community around them.
2. Developing Skills and Learning
Officiating was consistently described as an avenue for personal growth and development. It pushed participants outside their comfort zones, helping them become more confident and assertive in their decision-making. It also strengthened their ability to stay composed under pressure, de-escalate conflict, and communicate effectively with a wide range of people.
Self-reflection and self-awareness were integral to their learning. For many, the skills gained not only enhanced their officiating ability but extended into other areas of life, such as work and parenting. One official shared: “I love telling people that becoming a referee has made me a better mom. I have so much more patience.”
Interestingly, Sunde et al. (2024) also found a correlation between training and community. As they explain, training helps officials feel prepared, which enhances their sense of belonging in the community. For this reason, they recommend sport organizations provide various forms of training for female officials to increase competence and connection.
3. Giving Back
For many of the women, giving back was a motivator for their decision to become officials. Most were previously involved in their sport as athletes or coaches (and some still are) and felt a desire to give back to the community that supported them. The widespread shortage of officials across sports added to this, with many feeling a responsibility to help fill the need.
Their deep love for sport and community was evident. Officials described their work as both meaningful and energizing. “I decided to become an official to help out my community in the sport I grew up playing.”
4. Challenging Norms
Many recognized that officiating remains a male-dominated space. While not everyone experienced overt negativity, they were aware of the gender dynamics at play. Several described feeling added pressure and the need to prove themselves because of their gender. Being the only woman on the field or court was a common experience, and while some found it motivating, others described feelings of isolation.
These experiences reflect findings from a study conducted by Coletti (2022), which found that lone girls in sporting environments feel pressure to overcome gender norms, roles, and stereotypes to prove themselves as ‘worthy’. Participants in this study also experienced added pressure to represent all female athletes, recognizing their role in challenging norms.
Subtle forms of bias, like second-hand comments questioning their role or abilities, were not uncommon. One official described: “I had asked a rink attendant to open the referee room door, and he said, ‘That’s for the refs.’ I had my ref bag with me, and I said, ‘I know – I’m the ref. Can you please let me in?’”
Still, the officials remain committed to challenging stereotypes and serving as role models for others. They emphasized the importance of women supporting one another. The more women who are involved, the easier it becomes for others to follow. “I felt as a female that I was already disrespected as soon as I stepped on the ice… But I found that when I de-escalated myself and calmed down, they weren’t able to yell at me because I wasn’t yelling back. I asked for respect rather than demanded it.”
Another study by Reid and Dallaire (2020) focused on the experiences of female soccer officials in Ontario. It found that women’s experiences revolve around proving their ability and being recognized as “good” referees. The study found that some women minimized or ignored gender dynamics to gain acceptance, which (often unintentionally) reproduces masculine norms in sport. This research highlights a key insight: gender equity in officiating involves acknowledging and addressing women’s unique experiences rather than downplaying them.
It should be noted that understanding female officials’ experiences is a heavily under-researched area (Baxter et al., 2023), especially in the Canadian context. Baxter et al. (2023) suggest that further research is needed on policy and governance, officiating pathways, recruitment, retention, performance, stress and well-being, and support.
Moving Forward: Lessons and Future Directions
At the end of each interview, we asked what advice participants would give to other women and girls interested in becoming an official. Here’s what they shared:
- Find a support group or mentors to help guide and hold you accountable.
- Build connections because these people will keep you going when you feel discouraged.
- Don’t let negative comments get to you. You may face pushback, but your support group will help you through it.
- Know your material as it helps you stand behind your decision with confidence.
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, they’re inevitable. The most important part is that you learn from them.
- Ask questions because you won’t know unless you ask.
- Take the leap, even if it’s intimidating. The first step is often the hardest.
So, where do we go from here? How does this series inform work in gender equity in officiating, and what are the implications for sport leaders? Our key takeaways provide some potential direction:
Recognition matters. Women officials across Canada are doing remarkable things – from breaking barriers, mentoring others, and playing key roles in sport organizations. Officials often fall under the radar in sport, and this series shows the power of celebrating them.
Women officials wear many hats. These women are mentors, role models, assignors, athletes, coaches, moms, partners, friends, and colleagues (just to name a few!).
Officiating centres around continuous learning. Both formal and informal learning opportunities help women officials build confidence and stay engaged.
Community keeps people involved. While officials may initially be motivated to give back to their community, forming connections keeps them involved. Whether it be through formal mentorship or more informal friendships, officials rely on their community to progress.
Belonging is essential. Being 1 of the only women in an environment can be isolating. We must create spaces for women officials to connect and support each other, whether through mentorship programs, women-only clinics, or informal networking events.
Gender differences should be acknowledged, not ignored. By dismissing gender, we risk reinforcing dominant masculine norms. Recognizing differences and providing support accordingly leads to greater inclusion.
We’ve made progress in creating equitable and inclusive sport spaces, but there’s still work to do. While the challenges and barriers faced by women in officiating weren’t the central focus of this series, we must recognize the need for ongoing work. It’s also important to note that these stories of women who currently officiate don’t tell the whole story. To truly understand the barriers women face in officiating, we must also consider those who have dropped out.
Sport organizations play a pivotal role. Recruitment and retention of women officials won’t improve without intentional strategies and environments designed to support their success. Be creative and ensure you consult women and girls in your design process.
Sport organizations must play an active role in recruitment, development, and retention strategies that centre women’s experiences. This includes prioritizing inclusive environments, developing responsive policies, and focusing on proactive outreach efforts.
Acknowledgements: Big thank you to everyone who made this series possible – Peter, Manon, and all those who nominated officials to be recognized. And most importantly, a huge shoutout to our 15 featured officials. We are inspired by your leadership and are deeply grateful for your openness in sharing your stories.