WHO WE ARE
Clean Whistle Officiating is a hockey referee agency based in Tampa, FL, with a mission to develop good quality referees from the ground up through training programs, educational seminars, tournament recruitment, mentoring, and certification guidance.
Founder David Benmocha started building referee training programs in 2021 when he realized the challenges in lack of support for new refs trying to grow their skills and actually get scheduled for paid games.
David experienced these challenges when he began reffing ice hockey in 2014, having to navigate a political system that made it difficult to get scheduled for games, going through sub-par/minimum-requirement training, and getting paired with senior refs who wouldn't offer feedback. So, he decided to work on a solution…
David's passion for hockey and officiating made him want to grow his skills and avoid bad habits that many referees fall into. So, he created The Panda Referee social platform to open up public discussion on plays and referee calls.
The Panda Referee became a way to rebrand referees from being profiled as robotic “Zebras” who receive much public harassment, to “Panda” refs who are more relatable and likeable.
This platform grew through the years, making The Panda Referee a symbol that humanized refs and incorporated a healthy and positive outlook on a field that is often blamed and challenged.
This platform connected The Panda Referee to numerous tournaments asking for referees in California, Minnesota, Utah, Tennessee, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Maryland, and more.
David realized that he needed to grow a list of quality, reliable refs for these tournaments, ones who carried the same passion, motivation, and accountability to hone their skills and deliver a professional experience, so Clean Whistle Officiating was formed! With the current difficulties of getting involved in reffing still very present, Clean Whistle Officiating is continuously providing resources to hockey officiating through:
- • Holding training sessions and seminars
- • Offering reviewing for questionable penalty calls on videos
- • Assisting refs to get USA Hockey certified
- • Networking refs in the hockey community to get paid games
- • Scheduling local and travel tournaments
- • Helping refs negotiate fees
- • Providing mentorship for continued education
To this day, Clean Whistle Officiating has brought over 250 students through the training program. With both The Panda Referee and Clean Whistle Officiating continuing to expand each year, we stand by our mission to provide accessible opportunities for growing refs, assisting current refs in navigating their careers, and developing role models in the officiating community.