In honor of Winter Officials Appreciation Week, the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) is celebrating some of its winter officials on social media and CHSAANow.com, while member schools are encouraged to celebrate their officials, as well. This can be achieved in several ways, both big and small. All of which is meant to say, thank you officials!
Tony Exum has made countless impactful decisions throughout a political career that has seen him rise to become a member of the Colorado Senate representing the 11th District and also as a member of the Colorado High School Activities Association’s Board of Directors.
Outside the political and administrative arenas, there’s another arena – often literally – where Exum spends his time making important decisions and helping to shepherd a community. Exum’s work in that other chosen community also has had an expansive impact on the lives of many, namely young athletes throughout Colorado.
Exum is a high school sports official. And he believes strongly in the importance of contributing his time and leadership to that part-time endeavor, which means something when coming from such a high-profile and important person as Exum.
“It’s a tremendous value because sports taught me a lot of things growing up,” Exum said. “One thing it taught me was how to be a part of a team. I was able to develop some leadership skills, being a point guard and the captain of the team because the coach is relying on you to be his eyes and ears on the floor. Officiating helps provide these kids life lessons like how to be part of a team, how to overcome adversity and conflict resolution.”
The 71-year-old native of Raleigh, North Carolina, graduated from Palmer High School, where he played basketball and baseball, in 1970. Exum has remained a pillar in the Colorado high school sports community ever since, being inducted into the Palmer Alumni Hall of Fame in 2007 and now entering his 48th season as a basketball official.
Exum, who has also officiated high school softball since 2003, has officiated a dozen basketball state championships and several softball state championships, including this past softball championship games in the fall of 2023.
“It’s mostly giving back to the sports that gave a lot to me,” said Exum, who still plays slow-pitch softball and played fast-pitch for 35 years from 1970 to 2005. “Sports kept me out of trouble and it helped keep me off the streets and keep me focused. And in high school, it kept me focused on my school work because you had to have passing grades to participate. I love the games of basketball and softball, and for what I’m doing now – and even when I was a firefighter for 35 years – it gives me a stress release.”
Exum jokes that people are often surprised to hear that since an unfortunate element of officiating is often having to endure getting yelled at thistle running up and down the floor. But as a retired battalion chief who worked as a firefighter for 35 years prior to his career in politics, Exum has dealt with far more stressful situations.
Frankly, Exum enjoys officiating too much to let any of the extra stuff bother him. He believes officials should act as “mobile counselors” because it’s impossible to know what a player or coach has been through that day, that week, that month or in their lives.
“I think it’s about respect and you have to gain the respect from the coaches and the players,” Exum said. “If you’ve been around for a while, the coaches and players know your style and the parameters.”
Exum officiates both high school and collegiate sports, and helped start the Pikes Peak Area Association of Basketball Officials in the early 1980s in order to officiate collegiate sports across Colorado. He also officiated RMAC basketball for 30 years from 1987 to 2017 and still does RMAC softball.
Exum likes to think that officiating has also helped him in his political career.
“When I first got into the political world, I got a lot of votes because people knew who I was because I was a firefighter and an official,” Exum said. “They thought they could trust me and they recognized me. I’ve been officiating for so long, I’ve done dads’ games, I’ve done sons’ and daughters’ games and now I’m doing grandchildren’s games.”
Current CHSAA assistant commissioner Mike Book, who oversees officials for the Association, is a prime example of exactly that. Tony Exum officiated Book both when he was a high school basketball player at Miami-Yoder and also as a coach at Calhan. Book, a longtime basketball official himself, said he has always appreciated Exum and only regrets that he never got to work a game with the state senator.
“I have the utmost respect for Mr. Exum, both as a person and as a basketball official,” Book said. “Exum officiated many of my games in high school, as well as when I began my coaching career. I always knew that when he walked into the gym, we were getting a phenomenal official and a man of great integrity. During a career of nearly 50 years, those two things have not changed.”
CHSAA commissioner Mike Krueger said the Association is proud to have a state legislator like Exum, who dedicates his time to help legislate the Association and also gives back regularly to the community on a personal level, on the Board of Directors.
“We are so blessed in Colorado to have such an amazing group of dedicated, passionate and talented men and women officials who truly partner with us to fulfill our mission of providing educationally based athletics and activities,” Krueger said. “Then to have the opportunity to have someone with the wisdom and understanding of senator Tony Exum providing his leadership to our Board… well, it is truly an honor and I am incredibly grateful for him. He is an amazing servant leader.”
Officiating is important to Exum. He enjoys it but also takes it seriously, saying he believes that most anybody can pass the tests and learn the rules, but it’s more difficult to apply the principles in the moment and position yourself to make the correct call. Still going strong on the court and on the field in 2023-24, Exum said he is himself grateful for the opportunity to give back and stay connected to the community that helped raise him.
“I really appreciate the opportunity that I’ve had and the confidence that the players, the coaches have had in me but also I’m grateful to CHSAA for the opportunities they’ve given me that you can never pay back,” Exum said.