“How old is that referee? He looks kind of young.”
When he’s calling “net”, “double” or “out of rotation,” many volleyball players notice that senior Leo Belshaw-hood looks much younger than most other referees.
In May 2024, after competing against Lowell in an intense playoff game during the boy’s volleyball season, 16-year-old Leo was approached by the head referee from the Peninsula Volleyball Association (P.V.A.), who had just officiated the playoff match. The referee requested Belshaw-hood’s information about a possible position in the association. Leo jumped at the opportunity as he saw it as a chance to continue to be involved in the sport of volleyball even after he was done playing in high school.
Unfortunately, Leo waited several months & got no response from the P.V.A. referee, who had initially reached out. Leo then attempted to follow up with the recruiter but was unsuccessful. However, in July 2024, the same referee from the Lowell playoff match offered Leo a part-time referee position.
Leo gladly accepted the offer to serve as an “up” referee (known as the head referee, officiates any violation above the net and makes final decisions), “down” referee (known as the second referee, officiates any violation below the net and helping what calls that he or she has not seen), and line judge for the P.V.A. After attending 2 training sessions, this past fall, Leo worked on weekends during boys’ club volleyball season and girls’ high school volleyball season, earning up to $100 per high school girls’ match and $42 per club volleyball match.
While it may seem unusual to appoint someone as young as 16 as a referee, the recruiter explained that Leo was selected for the role due to his exceptional confidence in communicating with the referee. Recognizing the potential in someone dedicated to upholding and enforcing the rules of the game.
It has also helped Leo that he has 4 years of experience playing volleyball for both SF Elite Club Volleyball and the Galileo Boy’s Volleyball team. Leo explains that the more he’s refereed the easier it’s become. He says, “When I started reffing, I had to be confident in myself and my knowledge of the rules, After a few weeks, all the calls I made became clear and it was almost like muscle memory.”
Leo not only sees his job as a referee as fun and a way to make money but also to stay connected with the volleyball community. In the future, Leo plans to continue pursuing volleyball refereeing at the NCAA (college) level. Now that he is trained and certified, he can earn a higher income from volleyball.
