By Katie Bernardo and Divine Hanna
You’re on your feet in the stands, chanting with the cheerleaders, and eagerly watching the final seconds of the playoff basketball game. Your head turns at a sudden, sharp sound coming from behind you on the bleachers. There in the crowd, the GHC Ref stands out in his black-and-white striped t-shirt with his whistle around his neck.
Passionate about every sport offered at Granada Hills Charter (GHC), senior Jacob Meyer is the unofficial GHC Ref. He uses the persona of a referee to bring his own passion to the games, striving to keep games fair and judge performances.
“I’ve had a problem with officials at the professional level. Now, someone needs to bring awareness to this and I feel like that’s my job,” Meyer said.
As GHC Ref, Meyer attends as many sporting events as possible, always dressed in his signature black-and-white striped shirt. While making calls from the bleachers, he gets the crowd and sometimes even the players hyped up.
“Jacob is a unique person that is willing to express himself in different ways,” senior and football player Antonio Ochoa said. “He’s a good guy that is there when you need it and always having a good time. His GHC ref time was funny and I think it’s a good way for him to find a passion while enjoying what he loves.”
Part of his brand as GHC Ref stems from his strong social media presence as the GHC ref on Instagram. His feed displays the spotlights of his referee experience, which allowed for him to gain a large following.
“I was at Dick’s Sporting Goods with my dad, shopping for a girdle for football last year,” Meyer said. “I saw the ref shirt and thought, ‘Oh I’ve got to buy this.’ I wore it for the first time to the Kennedy vs. Granada basketball game, and people just kept telling me to wear it to every game. So, I gave the people what they wanted.”
Due to his popularity with the students, during last year’s student vs. staff basketball game, Meyer had the special opportunity to be an official referee. His consistent and objective approach to officiating the plays on the court was both accurate and highly entertaining for the audience.
“You know, they say that I’m undefeated as a ref and that was proven on March 24, 2022, the day of the student vs. staff basketball team.” said Meyer.
Although becoming a referee isn’t the career path he plans to take, Meyer’s future endeavors still revolve around sports. He plans on working at a sports agency or in the field of broadcasting. Whatever his future entails, he just hopes to be happy and successful. Especially due to experiences he has faced in sports, Meyer wants to be able to enjoy an occupation where he is appreciated and valued.
“If you’re unhappy with what you’re doing, don’t keep doing it to yourself. Don’t feel like just because people pressure you that you have to perform.” Jacob Meyer said.
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