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ruce Buskard has been a men’s game official for 21 years, taking on the stripes shortly after moving from New York to Charlotte, N.C. During the spring season, which for him begins with scrimmages in January, Buskard works anywhere from five to seven games per week, a mix of collegiate and high school contests.

“It’s not uncommon to be out every day of the week,” he says.

The same is true of Jodi Michna, who has been officiating women’s games since finishing her collegiate career at Springfield (Mass.) College in 1992. Going from a full speed spring season to a complete stop has been a hard adjustment.

“I’ve done this so long that it’s just part of my DNA,” said Michna, who lives in Stoughton, Mass., and works NCAA Division I, II and III games. “As officials, we’re very passionate about what we do. It’s so sad that it has all stopped.”

Commonly referred to as “the third team on the field,” lacrosse officials at all levels have been impacted as forcefully by the COVID-19 forced shutdown of lacrosse as players and coaches.

Buskard, 61, retired from corporate life last year. The income from officiating games helps pay bills, including wedding expenses for one of his daughters from earlier this year.

With games having now dried up in North Carolina and elsewhere, Buskard estimates that he has already lost about $5,000 in college game fees, and the tally is growing.  He typically earns $60 for working a varsity high school game and $55 for JV or youth level games. That income is also gone.

“Having less money in my pocket makes a significant impact,” he said.

He’s not the only one.

“It’s a very unfortunate situation because the people who rely on the extra income from officiating games really need it,” Michna said.

Compounding matters for Buskard is the fact that he also serves as the regional supervisor of officials and supplements his on-field duties with income as an assignor. With over 500 games canceled thus far, his assignor’s fees have also slowed to a drip.

“We were about two weeks into the high school season down here when everything got shuttered,” Buskard said. “It looks like the 2020 season is effectively closed down.”

There are approximately 75 officials in Buskard’s assigning group, and he notes that almost all have other full-time jobs. Nevertheless, the supplemental officiating income is important.

“There’s no doubt that some of our guys rely on this money to help meet their expenses,” he said.

Buskard noted that a small number in his group also officiate other sports during the spring. They may umpire a girls’ softball game in the afternoon followed by a boys’ lacrosse game in the evening. With all high school sports now on lockdown, they are probably feeling the pinch more than others.

“Those guys are getting hammered six ways to Sunday,” he said.

As a native of Long Island and a former collegiate player at Syracuse, lacrosse has been a staple of Buskard’s springtime routine for almost as long as he can remember. After Syracuse, he continued to stay active as a post-collegiate player for a short period of time. He then segued into youth coaching as his kids were growing up, and then took the next step into officiating after relocating to Charlotte.

“Many of us have been around the sport since we were kids,” Buskard says. “A Saturday in springtime with no lacrosse games is surreal. No games to talk about. No calls to dissect. The switch has just been turned off. Boom.”

Michna started officiating because she was motivated in finding a way to give back to the sport. As an elementary physical education teacher, the opportunity of staying physically active was also enticing.

“I liked the idea of continuing to run up and down the field,” she said.

As much as she misses working the games, which she calls “a bit of an adrenaline rush,” it’s the loss of the off-the-field connections that are just as staggering.

“We call ourselves a sisterhood,” says Michna, who has worked multiple NCAA championships in recent years. “We all know each other and talk to each other. You make good friends. Our phones are always busy. I miss the camaraderie and being in it with my colleagues.”

James Reilly of Wolfeboro, N.H., is another highly regarded official who had just earned a unique honor, selection as an on-field official for a world championship event. Reilly was notified in January that he was one of just seven officials from the USA, from more than 70 applicants, chosen for this summer’s 2020 World Lacrosse Men’s U19 World Championship in Ireland.

Earlier this week, World Lacrosse announced the postponement of the 2020 championship.

“It’s bittersweet because the opportunities are limited to be a part of this type of event,” said Reilly, who has been officiating since 2003. He started with high school games and progressed to the collegiate level a few years later. At one point, he worked as many as 80 games per year.

“I fell in love with it,” he said. “The relationships are great, and I love being on the field.”

Reilly applied for consideration for the 2020 championship in part due to his prior taste of international lacrosse. He experienced the grandeur of the 2014 Men’s World Championship in Denver, and it’s a memory he still holds dear.

“Just being there for the opening and closing ceremonies and seeing all the nations represented is pretty special,” he said. “I wasn’t prepared for that. It’s pretty exhilarating to watch, and pretty remarkable to be a part of.”

No whistles. No chatter. No cheering. Sadly, it’s all gone quiet. The silence of the game right now is so loud that it’s hard to ignore.

“There’s a constant buzz during the season,” Michna said. “Right now, most of all, I miss the buzz.”