GNAC SPORTS - Officiating is as integral to collegiate athletics as the student-athletes who compete and coaches who mentor.
Throughout the 2026-27 academic year, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference extends a sincere thank you to its officials across all sports, recognizing them throughout the NCAA's Officials Appreciation Weeks.
Name: Julian Tafolla-Cisneros
Sport Officiating: Soccer
Current Levels of Officiating: Professional, College, High School
Years Officiating: 12
What first inspired you to become an official?
Flexibility of having a good paying part time job as a teenager!
Who helped mentor or support you as you were learning to officiate?
All the referees/mentors I worked with coming up through the years shaped me into the official I am today. There are too many to name and they all impacted my officiating career in a positive manner.
What barriers or challenges did you face when you started officiating, and what helped you overcome them?
The pressure of failure! You learn to embrace it over time and game after game but when you are first starting off it can definitely be intimidating with the intensity parents/coaches experience the game with.
What do you enjoy most about officiating?
Traveling from venue to venue, working with new a great officials and having the best seat in the house to view some amazing football!
How has officiating helped you stay connected to the sport?
It’s given me a different view of the game that you only experience when you have picked up a whistle.
What is one myth or misconception about officiating that you would like to dispel?
That referees are biased against a team. No referee goes out to a game and thinks, “hmm how can I make the game for difficult for X team.” We always go out there trying to uphold player safety and integrity in the game.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering becoming an official?
Don’t knock it 'til you try it! Start off slow working your local youth leagues and once you see how rewarding this hobby can be start talking to mentors about progressing and moving up and doing higher level games.
What support, training or encouragement would help more people—especially younger individuals—enter and stay in officiating?
The first year is always the hardest! The big key is to find a referee working higher level games than you and go under their wing as somebody to talk to after a difficult game or just somebody for support as you progress through your officiating career!
How can coaches, administrators, student-athletes and spectators help create a more respectful game environment for officials?
Just remember that we are human too and just like the players/coaches we make mistakes even when we are trying to do everything 100% perfect.
What would you say to someone who loves sports but has never considered officiating as a way to give back, stay active, earn income and remain part of the game?
If you are on the fence about it, I highly recommend doing it especially if you are somebody who truly loves the game. You get to stay involved in the game for many years post-playing and as you progress in level the higher you get the better the venue, the players, the coaches, etc. It makes for a very enjoyable hobby.
What is your favorite sports-related memory or moment?
Mexico National Team!