Livingston is now a USA Hockey referee instructor and IIHF referee supervisor. She coaches women’s and men’s officials, not only making sure they are calling games properly, but also growing in their roles.
“[I like] seeing what they can accomplish, having somebody set a goal and actually achieving it and then being super-happy and empowering them to do what they want to do and what they want to accomplish,” Livingston said. “It’s super-important for me to empower women these days and give them confidence and focus on achieving their goal.”
One of those people was Huntley-Park. Livingston watched as Huntley-Park joined the USA Hockey Advanced Officiating Development Program and quickly rise through the ranks. Huntley-Park was selected as one of 22 officials to work at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Before her dream could be realized, Huntley-Park and her husband, Ryan Park, were struck and killed by a wrong-way driver on June 4, 2021. She was 33 and he was 32. The couple were detectives with the San Diego Police Department and were on-duty at the time of the incident.
At the Beijing Olympics, there was a locker set aside to memorialize Huntley-Park.
In the five years Livingston had gotten to know Huntley-Park, she respected how the young official went about her business and appreciated the person she was.
“She was awesome,” Livingston said. “She was an outstanding official. She was really good. She just had a way about her, and it’s probably because she was a cop. That probably helped her communicate with the players and the coaches. She is one of those people that means what she says and says what she means, but she can deliver it with confidence. You just listen to her.”
Much like Livingston, Huntley-Park just wanted to do her job well and wasn’t seeking out recognition or awards. While not very vocal, Livingston said that when Huntley-Park did speak up, those around her listened intently to her words.
“She just went out and did her job,” Livingston said. “She was an excellent teammate. She was super-coachable. She wanted to be the best and she was going to do anything to be the best, but never step on anybody’s toes to do it. She was just going to do a job and go out and be a great teammate.”
Those traits are why Livingston is such a deserving honoree of this award.
“I had no idea that I was even in the conversation where I would have never thought that [I would get it],” Livingston said. “I was just doing my job, loving my job, loving the officials and just making sure that I can coach to my best ability.”
Livingston, who has set an example herself for women in hockey, just wants to live up to Huntley-Park’s inspiration. Just the same as Hanley — the 2023 award winner — Hanrahan and Spresser.
“It’s important that, now that I’ve won it … I need to keep it in the forefront, and we need to make sure that it is an award that we can continue to give to the officials coming up the ranks,” Livingston said. “It’s important to keep Jamie’s memory alive, important for the three officials that are her best friend, but it’s also important that the message is there is that we do need to be like Jamie.
“It’s important now that her passion and focus is not going to be forgotten and Jamie’s not going to be forgotten.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
