Shalom Baer Gee/MDN Jeff Risk and his wife, Tammy, look through the photo book she made for Risk when he retired. Risk had a career as an official for 40 years. He will be inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame this summer.

The art of officiating sports–refereeing in layman’s terms–held Jeff Risk’s attention for decades for more than one reason. Not only was he a teacher who needed the extra money, he loved the games themselves, and it was a challenge.

“I liked the challenge of going out there. Mistakes can be very humbling, but when you put yourself out there, it forces you to concentrate. For the most part, I enjoyed the challenge of, all right, they’re showing replays on all our stuff. I’m gonna show them I was right,” he said.

Risk had a long-standing career as an official, spanning more than 40 years. According to the North Dakota High School Activities Association (NDHSAA), he has officiated more than 5,000 high school and college games in basketball, football and baseball. He’s also officiated 1,000 professional games over seven years in minor league baseball, basketball and indoor football.

He’s officiated 38 NDHSAA state basketball tournaments, six state football final championship games and three state baseball state championships. He was inducted into the North Dakota Officials Association Hall of Fame in 2016. This summer, he will be inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame.

Over the years, he’s never kept a diary or a tally of the games, but he can remember certain plays. Mostly, he just enjoyed the experiences along the way. He said there are other people who have kept track of how much he’s done.

“People ask you how many things you’ve done and how many this and that. I’m not really one for that. I just tried to enjoy the moment of the stuff and the challenge, and then I move on,” he said.

Risk’s career started young. He grew up in the small town of Binford, where he played “whatever game we could get enough kids to play” and started as an umpire when he was in eighth grade.

“I didn’t have a clue. I was working stuff, at that time, way over my head, but people were pretty good to you and gave you a chance to figure it out. Then it kind of just moved on from there,” he said.

He went on to officiate girls’ basketball with his coach when he was still in high school himself, and when he got to college at Minot State University, he continued to referee. He knew he wouldn’t be playing college sports, so it was a way for him to stay on the field.

“That was an easier way to do things, I thought, then getting a job,” he said. “It was a way to stay around games that you liked as a kid. College games are geared toward bigger people–bigger, quicker, stronger, so I knew my spot.”

Risk did get a job after college. He worked as a physical education teacher at Nedrose in Minot for 25 years alongside his officiating career, which he said he could find the time for because most games took place outside of school hours. He later went on to work as the athletic director at Nedrose.

Officiating seems to be intrinsically tied to rules. Not only does an official have to know the rules of the game, but they have to be able to apply them in the moment while paying attention to everything that happens on the field.

“I don’t know that I like rules, but you have to know the rules,” Risk said. “Did I like all the rules? No. But it wasn’t my job to make them; it was my job to enforce them. You’re trying to apply black and white rules to gray games, and that’s what makes it more of an art. The skill is being able to apply the rules where most people are satisfied most nights with what you do and yet stay within the parameters you’re given.”

With decades of experience behind him, Risk does now have a hand in the creation of the rules. He is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations Football Committee. The NFHS writes the rules of competition for most high school sports and activities in the United States.

“It’s enjoyable to be with people that have a lot of the same interests, and it’s a combination of officials, coaches and administrators, and to see everyone’s point and then try to arrive at what would work and what maybe wouldn’t work so well,” he said.

He also currently serves as a statewide supervisor of basketball and football officials and the director of summer basketball officiating camps. He observes officials at the NDHSAA football and basketball state tournaments and assigns basketball state tournament officials.

As for the future of refereeing, Risk said that the increased ability to view replays on the spot has brought down some controversy, but it isn’t always a good thing.

“I think it takes away from the sport. Sports ebb and flow, and we take away a lot of the momentum on plays. Anytime you stop, you give both teams a chance to prepare,” he said.

Risk and his wife, Tammy, plan to attend the NFHS Summer Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, from June 28 to July 2 for his induction into the National High School Hall of Fame.