Cashmere's Simonson scores Hall of Fame honor after 44 years of officiating

CASHMERE– After 44 years of officiating sports games both in the local area and statewide, Cashmere local Steve Simonson is looking forward to his induction into the Washington Officials Association (WOA) Hall of Fame. 

Simonson originally grew up in Indiana, making the move out to Washington in 1976. After high school, he found himself drawn to the Wenatchee Valley to play football and run track. By 1980, when one of his coaches asked him if he would like to make some extra money, Simonson quickly found himself officiating basketball games around the region. He officiated games for four years at Central Washington University and one year at Walla Walla before meeting his wife Fawnda, a Cashmere local and fellow athlete, and settling down in the Cashmere area. 

“She’s a great lady. I’m just really blessed that I’m part of that community, because she kind of brought me there,” Simonson said with gratitude for his wife.

Living in Cashmere, Simonson began coaching track and substitute teaching before taking on a football coach position at Cascade High School in 1988. For 18 years, he coached Cascade football, eventually accepting a coaching position at Cashmere in the Fall of 2006. 

After coaching in the area for so many years, one of Simonson’s favorite aspects of being a teacher and a coach is the positive impact that he leaves on his athletes and that his athletes leave on him.

“It’s always been about the kids. I just love being around young people, and sports are like an extension of the classroom. There’s a lot of valuable lessons to be learned in athletics… and it’s just so much fun to see kids learn, grow, and develop. I’ve got a laundry list of kids that just impacted me in positive ways,” Simonson, shared as he listed off various young athletes whom he saw grow into leaders of their own. “Megan Carlson, now I teach with her and she fortunately spoke up for me during my retirement banquet at Cashmere. She’s one of those people that just impacts so many other people’s lives. Rob Mcmanus, that kid is doing amazing work. Rob is a former student and athlete of mine… he ran in nationals last year in Texas, and then he ran at nationals this year. He is just a quality kid.” 

Throughout all of the coaching, teaching, and raising of his family, Simonson has continued to officiate basketball games every year since 1980, even traveling around the country as an AAU national official for 22 seasons. For Simonson, officiating nationally was a blast as it allowed him and his family to “take vacations” while he honed his craft around the country. 

After officiating basketball games for decades, Simonson finds that he most enjoys the camaraderie and teamwork felt between officials who all perform difficult, high-stress work in unison. 

“There’s such a camaraderie with other officials. Because, I can explain it to you, but unless you’re out there on a court with 1000s of people yelling and screaming, it’s really hard to get people to understand what it’s like to be an official. So, that’s the part I really enjoy about [officiating], that camaraderie and working with other officials and just trying to give an opportunity to compete.” 

After such a long and devoted career to athletics, Simonson doesn’t just officiate casually, he is also a board member of the WOA as the basketball liaison, working alongside other state associations to interpret rules and ensure a high level of sportsmanship at the state and local level. Overall, Simonson focuses his work as a board member on reinforcing the importance of sportsmanship over competition, hoping to teach kids important life lessons instead of winning at all costs. 

Simonson now looks forward to his induction into the WOA Hall of Fame at a Yakima conference on August 3. 

“It’s really pretty humbling. I’ve got a lot of family members, I’m the youngest of nine kids. So, most of my brothers and sisters are coming up for that and that’s pretty cool to see because I couldn’t have done it without any of them,” Simonson commented, grateful for the loved ones in his life who helped him along his impressive career. “I really couldn’t have done it without my wife. She is my biggest supporter and my toughest critic. She used to travel with me on those AAU tours and I couldn’t have done it without her and the support of my kids. I got a really really good support system, and she’s at the top of that list.”

Now retired from public schools, Simonson plans on continuing his teaching and coaching career for another year at Garden City Academy in Wenatchee where he is set to become the new athletic director as well as teach multiple classes.

“I think this is a great next chapter in my life, because I feel a real sense of purpose, going to be doing that. I still plan on officiating, I still need to run and stay physically fit. So yeah, I’m pretty excited about that next chapter,” Simonson noted with optimism. “It’s really been an honor. It’s one of those thing that I can’t believe went by so fast… it’s been a genuine pleasure and it’s been a real joy to do all the things that I’ve had the opportunity to do.”

Will Nilles: (509) 731-3211 or will@ward.media