News Photo by Torianna Marasco Les Miller, of Hubbard Lake, poses for a photo at Cabin Creek Coffee in Alpena on Tuesday. Miller is retiring from a 53-year career as a sports official.

ALPENA — Hubbard Lake’s Les Miller is saying goodbye to a 53-year career as a sports official and referee.

Originally from Monroe County, Miller grew up downstate, went to school at Michigan State University, and started his teaching career in Saginaw.

The high school biology teacher pursued both of his dreams until 25 years ago, when he retired from teaching and officiating became his primary role.

Miller officiated many sports, including baseball, softball, basketball, football, and swimming.

His love for sports sparked early in his life, as he played basketball and baseball, participated in intramural sports in college, and even tried his hand at coaching. But, when coaching didn’t feel right, he set out to be an official.

“When I decided I wanted to get out of coaching, I was a high school teacher in Saginaw at the time,” Miller said. “And I went to my athletic director, who was one of the best football and basketball officials in the state. I told him, ‘I’m thinking about getting into officiating,’ and he encouraged me, and that’s how I got started.”

Miller began officiating basketball and baseball, the two sports he knew best from years in the action. Four years later, he added football and softball.

Wanting to succeed at it, Miller studied up on the rules each year.

“There weren’t too many who knew the rules better than I did,” Miller said. “Every year, you get a rule book and a case book — which is play situations. For 53 years, I read them cover to cover each year.”

Miller said officials need to make decisions as quickly as the snap of a finger, and, usually, there’s no changing your mind.

“In football, if you throw a flag and realize you made a mistake, you can pick it up and wave it off,” he said. “But, in basketball, once you blow the whistle, something had to happen, even the plays that are tough to call.”

Miller was skillful at working with other officials, coaches, fans, and players.

“You have to learn to ignore the fans,” he said. “With the players, I always treated them with a whole lot of respect. Suppose there’s a free throw in a basketball game. I step in with the ball and say, ‘Gentlemen, we have two shots’ — or ‘ladies.’ I also just talked to the kids.”

As for his fellow referees, Miller said, “It’s a mixed bag. Most of them are good guys. Most really work hard to get things right. There are different levels of competency, but 99% of them just want to do a good job, and we hate it when we make a mistake.”

Being an official, Miller worked hard to excel, which offered him different opportunities and the chance to try new things.

For example, Miller was selected to umpire in the high school state baseball finals twice, which is determined by ratings and reviews.

“That’s what I’m most proud of,” Miller said. “That’s 12 people a year, so you’re one of 12 in the whole state.”

Miller is a family man who has been married since 1962. Together, he and his wife have two sons and five grandkids.

With both sons being swimmers, Miller said, “I laughingly say they decided to do sports Dad knew nothing about so I wouldn’t coach them or give them any grief, ’cause I knew nothing about swimming. But, I learned to officiate swimming for three years when they were in high school.”

Once his kids grew up and stayed in Saginaw, he and his wife took to camping and adventuring with their travel trailers as much as they could.

“There was a Harmony Weekend in Harrisville, and my wife and I said, ‘Let’s go listen to the barbershop,’ since I hadn’t been singing for a while,” he said after mentioning his time in a barbershop chorus.

His daughter-in-law invited them to stay at her aunt’s cottage on Hubbard Lake, where his son and daughter-in-law were spending the weekend.

On a boat ride, Miller’s son pointed to a cottage across the lake that was up for sale, but Miller said, “No, no, no,” cottages were not his style.

“We went back to their place, we fixed Southern Comfort Manhattans, and, a few drinks later, they made an appointment with the real estate lady,” he said.

The appointment in September led to them owning the place by Halloween, and the Southern Comfort Inn, as they called it, was truly theirs.

They remodeled in 2010 to make it a year-round, primary residence.

“I thought I was done officiating then, but I sent a letter to the athletic director at Alpena High School, and others, to introduce myself,” Miller said. “Next thing you know, I was back officiating football again, and, the next year, softball and baseball again.”

For another 13 years, he was back in the game.

Now in retirement, Miller spends his time golfing and being a ranger at White Pine. He and his wife are also very involved in their church, St. Paul Lutheran in Hubbard Lake, where they both maintain multiple roles.

NEXT SATURDAY

From 53 years of officiating, Les Miller has plenty of stories to share from both successes and downfalls. Beginning May 4, Miller will write about his experiences in Saturday editions of The News.