Story Links Jenn McCall still finds it hard to put into words what it was like to officiate at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Even months later, the memory feels almost unreal. The electric energy of the crowd, the sold-out arenas and the gravity of the moment combined into an unforgettable whirlwind. “It was surreal. There’s nothing that […]
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Jenn McCall still finds it hard to put into words what it was like to officiate at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Even months later, the memory feels almost unreal.
The electric energy of the crowd, the sold-out arenas and the gravity of the moment combined into an unforgettable whirlwind.
“It was surreal. There’s nothing that compares to the Olympics,” McCall said. She’s no stranger to major sporting events, having attended the Super Bowl and World Series, yet the Olympics stood in a league of its own. “It’s still surreal.”
The Huntington Beach, California, native made history as the first U.S. female water polo referee at the Olympic Games. For McCall, the milestone was the culmination of years of hard work, countless sacrifices and a deep love for a sport that has shaped her life.
That love began during her college years. As a water polo player at both Pacific and Southern California, McCall honed the skills that would later set her apart as a referee. Her time in the pool gave her an instinctive grasp of the game’s nuances, especially its physical demands.
“The natural part was just knowing the game,” she said. “I was confident I knew the rules. I knew the game. I knew what it looked like from a coaching perspective and a player’s perspective.”
However, it took years after her playing days ended for McCall to realize that officiating could be her next chapter. A pivotal moment marked the start of her journey.
During a local tournament she was helping to run, a referee had to leave due to a family emergency. McCall, who had been encouraged to try officiating years earlier and was certified, stepped in.
“I thought, ‘Well, I’m a certified referee,'” she recalled. “So I got out there and reffed the rest of the day for him. That’s how I got my feet wet. Once I got over the initial fear of stepping up … it just took off from there.”
From that point on, McCall said “yes” to every officiating opportunity — club matches, local scrimmages and national tournaments. At the same time, she has managed a demanding career as a paralegal. Officiating hundreds of matches annually — sometimes as many as 500 — has meant sacrificing weekends, vacations and free time. She has missed weddings and family gatherings but found that officiating was a passion, and she couldn’t walk away from it.
“The days that I’m busy, when my to-do list is packed and I have to be out the door by 4 o’clock for a 6 o’clock game — I think I’m better,” she said. “My time management improves. The pressure of getting everything done and doing it well lights a fire under me, just like when I was a student-athlete.”
McCall’s career as a referee progressed quickly, thanks to her deep understanding of water polo’s intricacies. But there were still hurdles to overcome.
“The hardest part is blowing your whistle,” McCall said. “I was told early on, ‘If you think you’re blowing your whistle loud, blow it louder.'”
She also had to master handling intense interactions with coaches, a skill she described as “very hard to teach.” Through it all, she leaned on the mental toughness she developed as a student-athlete.
“Being a player at one of the highest levels in the United States is a huge benefit,” she said. “We just don’t see enough officials coming from that background.”
By the time she reached Paris, McCall was no stranger to high-stakes events. She had already officiated NCAA championships and international tournaments. But the Olympics was different. The crowds were larger, the stakes higher and the visibility unmatched.
“We were at two different pools,” McCall said. “The first had a 6,500-seat sold-out crowd for every single game. The second had 17,000 sold-out fans.”
Amid the spectacle, McCall reflected on her journey from student-athlete to one of the sport’s most respected referees. Breaking barriers for women in officiating only deepened the significance.
“When the appointment was announced, people — some I didn’t even know — started reaching out,” she said. “Younger officials, especially female ones, from all over the U.S. and the world said, ‘Thank you so much. I’ve been watching your journey, and this means so much to me.’ That’s when it really hits you.”
Yet the journey hasn’t been without its challenges. As one of the few women in her field, McCall has faced obstacles.
“Nine times out of 10, I’m going to get yelled at more than any male official I work with, even if it’s his first day,” she said. “It’s unfortunate, and it’s not just our sport — it’s sports in general.”
McCall, a former water polo student-athlete, brings decades of experience and passion to the international stage.
McCall is quick to credit the women who paved the way for her, such as Danielle Dabbaghian, who in 2017 became the first woman to referee an NCAA men’s water polo championship, and Amber Drury, who joined Dabbaghian in 2015 as the first female duo to officiate an NCAA women’s water polo championship game.
“There were literally fewer than a handful of women who came before me, but they helped me get to where I am,” McCall said. “I have to credit them for their work, and I hope it only goes up from here.”
McCall sees a natural pipeline from college athletics to officiating as a way to increase female representation in the field. She thinks officiating can be a rewarding career for athletes leaving the sport, and she’s determined to make that path more accessible.
“If we showed athletes that officiating is a viable route and encouraged it, it would make a difference,” she said. “But it’s not the natural route for most of them because they don’t know about it. Making it known is key.”
She hopes her story inspires others to follow her lead, ensuring the next generation of referees is larger, more diverse and better prepared for the demands of the job.
“My biggest advice is to be a student of the game, don’t take things personally and focus on improving every time,” McCall said. “I hope to continue showing that we belong here. I want to create positive momentum that lasts.”
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