Background

Dream Big Officials, based in Albuquerque, is focused on long-term referee development, not just game coverage.

Through its training arm, Behind the Flag, the organization has built a sustainable officiating pipeline centered on structured mentorship, consistent training, and thoughtful assignments.

But as the program scaled and more officials came through the system, the administrative workload also increased. Managing payments, assignments, and communications manually started consuming time that should have been spent on development.

That’s when Dream Big turned to Refr Sports.

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Challenge

Dream Big was managing large-scale tournaments that consistently required coverage for over 500 officiating slots.

As the volume of assignments increased, so did the workload for founder and assignor Dennis Barela. Before using Refr, the challenges included:

• Processing payroll manually. This meant confirming every game slot, tracking individual game counts, applying different pay rates, and sending that data to a third-party payroll service. The process was time-consuming and prone to error.
• Communicating changes through email and text. Any change to a game location or cancellation required separate outreach to all impacted officials. This added stress during already busy tournament weekends.
• Managing scheduling in disconnected systems. Officials accessed assignments through one platform, tracked pay elsewhere, and often needed direct communication from Dennis to get updates. This fragmented workflow limited scalability.

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Solution

Since adopting Refr Sports, Dream Big Officials has been able to centralize its operations and refocus on its core mission.

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1. Automated Payment Processing

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“On one tournament alone, Refr saves me 2 to 3 hours a week in payment processing.” – Dennis Barela

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Refr eliminated the need to manually verify game logs and calculate payments. Officials’ assignments are tracked automatically, and payouts are generated directly within the system. This has cut payroll processing time significantly, especially during high-volume events.

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2. Real-Time Updates with the Mobile App

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“If I cancel or move a game, Refr notifies officials immediately. I don’t have to send a follow-up email.” – Dennis Barela

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With Refr’s mobile app, officials receive immediate notifications when games are updated or canceled. This real-time communication has reduced confusion and eliminated the need for separate messages. During tournaments, this allows Dennis to focus on managing the event rather than sending updates.

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3. Centralized Assignment and Communication Hub

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Refr brought all scheduling and communication into one platform. Officials can now view their schedules, respond to assignments, and receive updates in a single app. This has removed the need for back-and-forth over multiple tools and helped onboard new officials more easily. For Dennis, it’s meant fewer mistakes and a much smoother management experience.

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Outcomes

Refr has allowed Dream Big Officials to reduce its administrative burden without compromising quality or structure.

By automating time-consuming processes like payroll and bringing communication under one roof, Dennis and his team have been able to spend less time on logistics and more time assigning, mentoring, and supporting referees.

The shift has made it easier to scale the organization while staying focused on development.

It has also created a better experience for officials, who now have more reliable information, better scheduling visibility, and fewer last-minute surprises.

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