Whether you’re a youth sports league operator, a university intramural sports program, a national governing body or high school sports association, we have the expertise, network and track record to help you improve the quality of your sports officials training, policy and rules development and risk oversight.
One of the most overlooked aspects of a high quality sports program is well-trained and highly competent sports officials. Read below to learn about our track record and contact us for a consultation.
Our Story
Gary Cahen has been involved with sports officiating for over 30 years. After following his dad around the local softball fields and watching him umpire youth and adult leagues, Gary began his career as youth soccer official while in high school along with his three brothers. There he developed early confidence and competence as a sports official. Gary mentored one of his younger brothers at an early age, who would later go on to become a Major League Soccer and international soccer official.
Origins in Flag Football
When Gary arrived at the University of Central Florida as an undergraduate student, like most college students –he needed a job. He signed up to referee soccer and quickly got involved with umpiring softball and officiating floor hockey, basketball and volleyball. It was when Gary discovered the sport of flag football that he developed a passion for football officiating. In 2001 Gary was named an all-american Flag Football Official and officiated the Men’s National Championship game at the University of New Orleans. He would later mentor dozens of students who would earn similar honors. Gary served his professional association on the NIRSA Flag Football work team, the NIRSA Flag Football Editorial Board and for three years was the director of officials at the National Flag Football Tournament. Gary was honored in 2024 with induction into the NIRSA Championship Series Hall of Fame for his contributions to the sport.
Football Officiating
In 2003, Gary was instrumental in working with the FHSAA in Florida to implement NIRSA rules for Flag Football. Florida was the first state to offer Flag Football as a high school varsity sport. Gary consulted with the FHSAA to provide training for coaches and officials associations around the state and went on to officiate three state championship games. At the same time, Gary was early in his career as a high school football official and became the youngest crew chief in the Central Florida Officials Association. Gary was later elected as a Vice President for the CFOA, awarded the Stan Staneff Education & Training Award and in 2019 was inducted into the CFOA Hall of Fame. Gary would then go on to become a college football official, working in the NAIA Sun Conference and NCAA Division I Pioneer League and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) for several years, before retiring in part due to an injury.
Referee U
Gary Cahen has been part of the senior leadership team at the University of Central Florida’s Recreation and Wellness Center for over 20 years. In that role, he has been a key leader in developing some of the most innovative sports officiating training in the country. Gary has served as an instructor in UCF’s famed Basketball Officiating Class and for several years served the class director as an assistant. In 2023, Referee Magazine regarded UCF as “Referee U”, due in part to its success in training officials who have gone on to become NCAA Football and Basketball Officials, NBA Referees, NFL Officials and even an Official who worked the Olympic Games.
Cahen Ambler consulting is available to help you with your sports officiating needs. Whether you are a crew of football officials looking for a strengths-based training for crew cohesion, a youth-sports program looking for a train-the-trainers workshop, or a university looking to enhance your student officials development program, we are your solution. Please contact us for a consultation today!