I've been an Official since 1995.  At one time or another, I've worked most of the leagues; Adult Recreational, NorCal Youth, and Youth In-House.  The highest level I've worked for an Adult league is Intermediate; for NorCal Youth I've been a linesman for Bantam (age 14 and below) and as a Referee for PeeWee (age 12 and below) and below; both checking and non-checking divisions for In-House Youth.. Why did you become an ice hockey official? When I was a player, I always worked games as a scorekeeper to help pay for my league fees.  I got to learn a lot about the game by working with the Referees.  Once during a game I was scorekeeping for NCWHL, Pat Barr, then the Referee Scheduler for NCWHL, suggested that I should try out officiating.  He said that it was a shame that the women's league didn't have any female officials.  I had never considered being an official myself, since I had never seen a female official, for ANY sport, at ANY level.  But once Pat suggested it, it seemed right for me.  What's the best thing about being an ice hockey official? I get to be part of the game I really love; often I'm able to participate in games that I couldn't be in as a player.  And being part of a team - the officiating team - is great.  I have met a lot of really interesting and unforgettable people, and gone places and done things I wouldn't have done if not for officiating.   What's the worst thing about being an ice hockey official? There are lots of times when players and/or coaches don't agree with your calls.  Until I started officiating, I didn't realize how difficult it could be to deal with.  But you either accept it as part of the game and learn how to deal with it, or you quit.  Believe it or not, it builds confidence when you have to make your calls and stick to them even when the calls are unpopular.  And the confidence spills over to other parts of your life. How do you think being a woman has affected your career, good or bad, as an official? When I first started it was pretty unusual to see a female official on the ice.  I often got positive comments from some of the female players, and that kept me motivated to persist and improve.  Mostly I didn't want people to say that I had washed out because I was a woman.  (Note:  Nationally, nearly 50% of first year officials do NOT register for a second year.)  The first seminar I attended had only one other female; now there are around 15 registered female officials in the Bay Area.  I like to think I had something to do with that, both directly, by training and mentoring, and indirectly, just by showing that it can be done. What are your goals as an official? I'd like to improve my skating abilities, and with that, get assignments to faster games.  I'd also like to get invited to work some of the elite tournaments.  (But that won't happen unless goal #1 is achieved!) Relate a memorable event you've had as an official. In April, I was selected to attend the USA Hockey Instructor's Camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  This was a four day training session to show us how to train other Referees.  It was absolutely the most memorable and fun hockey experience I've had.  We worked a lot- two full days (14+ hours each) including on-ice sessions, classroom instruction and presentations that we had to give and critique.  But we all (40 men + 2 women) had a great time, even though we came from different places and had different hockey experiences.  And I got to meet some of the USA Hockey people that I'd only heard about!

I started playing hockey in 1983 with the now-defunct Hockey North America.  It was advertised as co-ed, but there were very few women.  My first beginner class was only my second time on ice skates, but I had so much fun that I kept with it.  I played co-ed for several years, then joined NCWHL in its first or second year, I think it was 1993.  I played for NCWHL until 1996. I currently play on an all women's team, the Valenti Rebels, at Hockey Work Out in San Jose.  Because of my size, I've always been a left wing.

June, 2001 Featured Zebra: JOANNE "jj" NAKASO

Joanne, 43, is known in hockey circles as "jj." She has been the Referee Coordinator for the Northern California Women's Hockey League [NCWHL] for three years, which is fitting since she got her start as an official because of her involvement in the league.  Until recently, she has been employed at Evergreen Valley College running the Math Center, a tutoring and computer lab.  Last fall, because of her teaching experience, she was asked be an instructor at the USA Hockey Officiating seminars, training new officials. She will soon be starting a brand new position as the liasion between the Disabled Students Program and the Campus Technology (Computer Services) department at San Jose City College. jj lives in San Jose with her ginger cat Dutch Boy, who has absolutely no interest in reffing, but wears orange stripes anyway.

Hockey Resume:

Officiating:

What other sports do you play and/or officiate? Believe it or not, I've NEVER had any interest in any sport except for ice hockey.  I occasionally watch pro basketball and pro football, though. What are your other interests? I recently became interested in web design (like this), and I'm taking classes to learn more about it.  I'm interested in Classical (ancient) cultures, and I would also like to get my scuba certification this year. What does "jj" stand for, anyway? When I was a kid, I was "Jo-Jo," which I detested because I was called "Jo-Jo the Clown."  As an adult, I shortened it to "jj," because I didn't want a silly name when I went to play co-ed hockey.  Unfortunately, my relatives never stopped calling me Jo-Jo, and so my brother and all my cousins have taught their kids to call me "Auntie Jo-Jo."  Seems I'm stuck with it. Contact information: You can contact jj by e-mail at:  joannenakaso@earthlink.net

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