Brandon Meng Trades the Sneakers for a Whistle
Story by Jordan Carrillo; Pictures provided by Zeldenrust Photogrpahy
As the basketball season commences, St. Clair teams from the players, coaches, to the parents prepare for a hectic schedule filled with intense games, sweat-soaked uniforms, and, of course, the unending echo from squeaky shoes. During the course of a game, a player has opportunities to make their impact on the court, a coach can make important decisions over the course of a game, and parents offer support through cheers, pre-game meals, and the occasional reload of a water bottle.
While not commonly mentioned as part of the athletic experience, referees and officials play a vital role in sporting events. As the fair and unbiased mediators of games, nobody is more at the center of everything than the official, especially in the most stressful moments of a contest. It’s that commitment to upholding integrity paired with a love for the sport that inspired a former Cyclone player to trade-in the sneakers for a whistle and in doing so, finding a newfound passion.
Many readers of the Journal can remember St. Clair alum Brandon Meng (Class of 23) being a standout player during his time as a Cyclone; his passing, breakthrough speed, and toughness often made him a difficult assignment. Meng’s time as a high-flying hooper may be long gone, but his love for the sport and his community remains as he enters his third year as an MSHSL official. He currently covers elementary, junior high, and C-squad games (boys & girls) for both Madelia and St. Clair.
Meng’s journey from player to official started shortly after graduating in 2023 when another St. Clair alum, Brandon Stori, recommended the opportunity to him as a means to stay involved in the basketball community. While the training requirements for the level of play he would officiate weren’t as extensive compared to Varsity-level, the process included attending classes at Immanuel Lutheran. A number of seasoned vets, Stori included, helped Meng learn the ins-and-outs of the profession from rules and safety guidelines to eventually running a live scrimmage to gain muscle memory, build confidence making calls, and sharpen focus.
Being a college student currently, Meng wasn’t fazed by the classroom lessons, in fact, he admitted the training was the “easy part.” However, the transition from player to official had its share of growing pains, “Those first few games were an entirely new experience for me. Basketball happens so fast and you have to be able to make a split-second decision based on what you saw in the moment.”
Following his training, the new ref on the block began covering games in Madelia and St. Clair, and with each contest, he slowly built his confidence, “I started working more games and I had the pleasure of being paired with referees who had been in this profession for many years. Working with them helped me become more confident, and I started picking more games up.” Among the calls he has to make are common fouls like handchecking or a contact foul, but there have been times Meng has had to make more assertive calls like “three seconds in the lane” or assessing a technical foul to a player who made an overaggressive move after the whistle.
It may come as a surprise, but the schedules for MSHSL officials are often as jam-packed as the programs they cover. Most referees cover games every night and certain stretches of the season include tournaments that can hold up to eight games in one day. The hardest part of their profession isn’t physical exercise, it’s sustaining sharp focus and mental fortitude over the course of a game, tournament, and season. That much basketball over a sustained period of time might leave officials winded and with some soreness, but it also presents the most challenging aspect of officiating—mental exhaustion.
Though he is still a youngster in this racket, Meng is familiar with the feeling of a “mush state” while covering games, “Maintaining our focus can be really challenging… It’s arguably the most challenging aspect of being an official. You get into a ‘mush state’ from covering so much ball, so it’s really important to not get worn down.”
While being an official is a vital piece of the youth athletics puzzle, the position can invite tense moments between them and those in attendance. It’s almost natural for fans, players, and coaches to have some level of emotion toward an official after an unfavorable call, but the official must maintain a respectful demeanor, even in the face of fury. When resolving conflict, Meng emphasizes the need to remain steady and stern, trying to explain what he saw from his vantage point. He understands that everyone is human, and emotions run high—players rarely admit to a foul, and coaches want to win. However, no matter the response to the call, a referee must remain objective–their reputation as an authority figure relies on it, “It can be a bit jarring to hear the disapproval, especially during road games, but it’s absolutely crucial the crowd doesn’t impact your ability to make a call. Reputation is so important in this position, so being able to maintain composure helps gain respect with those around you.”
Perhaps the most significant change since becoming an official is his perspective on the game. As a player, he often questioned calls, sometimes believing the ref “doesn’t want me to win.” However since joining their ranks, Meng now has had a deep empathy for the officials and the difficulties they face on the court, “Officiating is one of the hardest jobs out there. 50% of the crowd is going to like the call while the other 50% will hate it. It’s easy to just watch a game and say something is a foul, but being able to see what they see and calling it are two different things. It’s a lot harder than most people think.”
With the basketball season in full swing, Meng is prepared to don the uniform and whistle for his third season. Like many organizations, there is a notable shortage of referees in the region, and the St. Clair alum has been doing his part to recruit some fresh faces to the ranks, “There are a lot of things you can learn as an official like discipline and integrity. I have got to meet a lot of important people including referees who covered my games when I played. Being a part of this organization has given me a chance to give back to my own community, and be around the sport I love.”
