MCLA.us is excited to announce that it will haves several contributors writing for the website this spring, and one is Chris Larson. Larson is a high school and collegiate official in District 7 (upper Midwest) who is also a certified US Lacrosse Officials trainer and clinician, and he’ll be fielding questions about all aspects of officiating this year from MCLA players, coaches and fans.

Whether it is a question about a specific call or mechanic, or a general officiating philosophy, send your questions to [email protected] and Larson will address them during the course of the season. To start the season Larson has tackled a couple of general questions about the officiating profession.

Who is this guy in the stripes and why is he here?

I can speak to my experiences and believe parts will hit home for many of my colleagues. I’ve been involved in lacrosse for over 30 years in many different roles. I’ve been a college and post-collegiate player, a college and youth coach, an owner of an equipment outlet and partner in a travel lacrosse organization. I’ve also officiated off and on over that same period.

When I first started playing, officials were very scarce, so everyone pitched in and officiated when they could. Things were pretty fast and loose - rule knowledge and consistency weren’t at the forefront of the experience. But after my playing days ended and coaching no longer fit into my family’s life, I continued to officiate because is it keeps me connected. I relish being on the field during a game.

What qualifies him to work our games?

To be able to be on the field requires more than just showing up with a jersey, flag and whistle. Officials treat the offseason in a manner that is remarkably similar to players and coaches. We work offseason games to get used to any rule changes. Lots of us work to maintain or improve our fitness since we tend to age while the college players remain 19-22 or so.

All college-level officials are required to pass annual rules testing, so we even have to study. There are national training opportunities for officials that allow us to hear from and work with experts, as well as network with peers from other regions. Before the season starts, we need to check our gear and replace things that are worn or dirty. The long and the short of it is everyone on the field, officials included, has put in work. We all want to do our best, enjoy the game and have a successful outcome.

About Chris Larson
Larson began playing lacrosse in 1985 by founding the third college program in Minnesota at St. Thomas. Following college, he competed with the Twin Cities/Pete’s Wicked Ale Lacrosse Club and began coaching at the University of Minnesota. In 12 years at Minnesota, Chris’ teams won two Upper Midwest Lacrosse Conference titles and qualified for the MCLA national tournament.

He coached numerous all-conference and MCLA All-American players and collected over 100 wins with the Gophers prior to his retirement in 2005. Chris is the only individual to serve as a director (2004), coach (2005) and official in (2013, 2014) of the MCLA national tournament. In addition to being a high school and collegiate official, Larson serves as boy's coaching coordinator and a youth coach in the St. Paul Youth Lacrosse Association along with being the general manager and coach for TEAM MINNESOTA. He and his wife live in St Paul with their three sons