St. Charles' Jared Butson named Minnesota's boys basketball Official of the Year

​  Jun. 24—ST. CHARLES — It’s in his blood.Forty-nine-year-old Jared Butson figures he’ll stick with officiating basketball and football games for another 11 years.That would be a welcome sight to those who have witnessed the St. Charles teacher’s work.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOn June 15 at a ceremony at Target Field, Butson was recognized by the Minnesota State High School League as its 2025-26 boys basketball Official of the Year for the state.He’s considered as good as it gets. So were 23 other officials who were chosen as their sport’s Official of the Year in an array of activities.”I found out in mid-May that I had won when I got an email about it,” said Butson, a physical education and drivers education teacher at St. Charles. “It completely caught me by surprise. I’ve been doing this for the better part of three decades. I just go out and try to do a good job every night and try not to be noticed.”Butson, who has refereed in 18 state tournaments, including multiple state championship games, has devoted a major chunk of his life to officiating. Not only does he officiate games two to three nights per week in the winter, but he has been the Rochester Area Officials Assignor for boys and girls basketball since 2005 and done the same thing for football since 2017.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEvery year, he is eager for the season to start.”It is a passion and it’s always been in my blood,” Butson said. “I look forward to the season and the games. I enjoy giving back to a sport that was good to me and it keeps me young and connected to the sport. It is my stress reliever to go out there with a friend and officiate. The camaraderie that you get from fellow officials, coaches and athletic directors is special. I have so many friends because of this avocation.”Butson got his start in officiating as a 19-year-old. That’s when, as a student at St. Cloud State University, he did a work study with its campus recreation department, officiating flag football, basketball, floor hockey and softball.Almost immediately, he could tell officiating was for him.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”I felt like I caught on quickly,” Butson said. “I felt I was a student of the game and I felt like I could take constructive criticism well. I am still learning from people who are working the games with me. The day that I don’t feel like I’m still learning will be the day that I stop doing this.”Butson hasn’t stopped being a teacher of officiating, either. Every summer, he and fellow referees Jeremy Zacher and MJ Wagenson put on an officials training camp at Saint Mary’s University for all who want to work on their craft.”That is part of giving back,” Butson said. “We give feedback to the officials on the court. We try to make everyone better.”One area that Butson would like to see get better is the number of officials available. He says there is a shortage in almost every sport.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”We need more bodies;       ​Read More Feedzy