Longtime Juneau referee Robert Sims, 75, was named the 2024-25 Alaska Sports Official of the Year recently by a joint committee of members from the Alaska School Activities Association (ASAA) and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).
“This is a relatively new recognition sponsored by NFHS and ASAA,” ASAA Associate Director Brian Hosken, the committee head, said. “It is for current officials…last year’s winner was Mike Goodwin out of Fairbanks.”
The award noted that “Sims’ outstanding achievement is a reflection of his exceptional service, leadership, and dedication to the sports of football, softball, and volleyball throughout our state…Officiating across three highly competitive and fast-paced sports, Robert demonstrates a deep understanding of each game but also an unwavering commitment to fairness, consistency, and integrity. His ability to carry out these responsibilities with professionalism and poise has earned the respect of coaches, athletes, fellow officials, and the wider sports community.”
Sims said the award was a complete shock
“I had no clue it existed,” he said. “There are a lot of officials country wise email marketing list around the state that are so deserving.”
Sims said he gave up the basketball whistle in 2022, but continues officiating volleyball, fast-pitch softball and football, the tally of games involved is hard to fathom.
“For softball we recently had 11 home games and then I went to Sitka for a tournament and did eight games there,” Sims said. “That’s 20, then went there for a regular series…and for volleyball we had Is graphic design important for law firms? JIVE plus two home series so about 20 games…and then of course four home football games.”
Sims said it is not hard to stay engaged in a contest
“Even a blowout, whatever the sport, I just force myself to concentrate more,” he said. “But of course a close game you want to be extra careful…the regional volleyball tournament was in Juneau and Ketchikan and JD were close every game so you have to make sure you concentrate on every point…as far as softball, we’ve had some taiwan listsblowouts but it is amazing to be out on the new grass field, we’ve been trying to get that turf for 20 years. It was cool to be one of the three to be calling that first game, me, David Means and Mike Crabb to walk out there…it was pretty awesome. It was also sad that Chad (Bentz) could not be there for the dedication as he worked so hard on it.”