Officials all across the country are gaining an edge by way of a USA Football Officiating Membership, and Florida official Clement Brooks is one of them. To view a complete list of benefits for officials, and to register for your membership, click here.
In 1959, Clement Brooks decided to become a baseball umpire to make some extra money. Serving in the Air Force, Brooks had left his wife and two kids at home in Tampa, Fla., while he was stationed at Yokota Air Base in Japan.
Three more sports, five destinations, numerous organizations and 49 years later, the 74-year-old Brooks is ready to call it a career. On Feb. 7, he will referee the Hillsborough County (Fla.) high school basketball districts, running up and down the court alongside players a quarter of his age. He refereed his last football game on Dec. 20, 2008 - Florida's Class 6A championship match between Seminole High School (Sanford, Fla.) and Miami Northwestern Senior High School.
"He has really done an outstanding job," said Thomas Powers, treasurer of the West Coast Officials Association, where Brooks has served as president for the last 10 years. "He is one of those people who is a great manager of the game."
Aside from his post as West Coast president, Brooks is involved with the Florida High School Athletic Association and the National Association of Sports Officials. He has spent decades as a member of at least five more sports organizations - covering football, basketball or baseball. He is also a USA Football officiating member, refereeing games at the youth, high school and college level. He plans to continue his involvement with football in a teaching role.
"I have enjoyed my officiating career," Brooks said. "But I'll still be available. I'm still going to register with the state. I'll still get the publications. I'll stay current with that.
"I still think I have something to give back to younger officials."
A lot has happened in Brooks' career that he can draw back on. He spent more than 22 years in the Air Force, officiating at every air base he called home: Yokota Air Base, Kadena Air Base (Okinawa, Japan), Shaw Air Force Base (Sumter, S.C.) and finally, back home in Tampa.
For the last four years, he's worked on the chain crew for Tampa Bay Buccaneers home games, and he has been on the chain crew for University of South Florida football games since they began playing football.
But despite his numerous other activities, he could never be separated from the pinstripes.
"I wanted to be the best I could be at this sport at officiating," Brooks said. "It was fun to me - I enjoyed doing it. It was just meant for me to be an official."
While the majority of his football officiating career came in the high school ranks, he spent five years in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, from 1983-1987. He decided to join the high school ranks in 1988, and he focused his attention on baseball and basketball. As a Division I baseball umpire in college, he remembers having spirited conversations with then-Seton Hall catcher Craig Biggio, now a surefire Hall of Famer after retiring from the Houston Astros. As a basketball official in Florida, he refereed Vince Carter's last high school basketball game.
Brooks also has numerous highlights from his football career. He started officiating high school football games in 1962, and he began a rapid ascent to crew chief in 1967, when he returned to Florida full-time. Back then, black officials were rare in any sport, and Brooks said he didn't make the leap to college officiating - both in football and baseball - because he didn't get a fair chance.
"It was tough for black officials to break the color line at the big level," Brooks said. "I was turned down several times at the big level."
But Brooks pressed on. Joining the West Coast Officials Association and holding two memberships there for a combined 29 years, he continued to work hard and seek advice from other officials within the organization. Now, other officials come to him for advice.
"They thought I was good as a teacher, and I guess it stayed with me," Brooks said. "Now, people ask for help with football clinics and training."
As president of West Coast, training is near the top of the list of Brooks' priorities. He evaluates the performance of entire officiating crews. He helps youth football officials adhere to the guidelines of the organization. And as a longtime official himself, he has more than his share of advice for those donning the pinstripes for the first time.
"You must see as many snaps as possible," Brooks said. "You can learn something new on every snap, and five years later, it will show up again."
Brooks learned a few things about officiating mechanics as well.
"These kids are so fast now that I have to learn every shortcut I can," Brooks said. "Get into position. Play wider to get to the sideline quicker. You learn these things as you progress in your officiating career."
Having someone to show you the ropes is vital, Brooks said. He sought the advice of other officials when he first got started.
"If you want to be an official, you have to take some advice from somebody," Brooks said. "Make them come to games, make them go to scrimmages.
"It is important that you have mentors."
And Brooks plans to fulfill this role as he turns a new page in his storied career.
