When Daniel was 10 years old a friend from school invited him to play volleyball because his team needed one more player. Although he’d never played before, his friend assured him it was easy, he just needed to serve the ball over the net. Daniel realized volleyball was not easy at all, but he was immediately drawn to the sport. He continued playing in high school and college, followed by adult indoor and outdoor tournaments in Colombia. He even coached at the college level for over a decade. Daniel’s experience with Officials as a player left him somewhat frustrated, because he felt there was a lack of positive interaction. He felt compelled to change the narrative.

“Growing up in Colombia, I noticed that many times when coaches or players disagreed with the Officials’ decisions, we all wanted an explanation, and all we received was a verbal warning or perhaps a yellow card,” said Daniel. “Maybe many of the coaches and players did not have the best attitude when approaching the Officials, or maybe the Officials did not want to talk at all. This was not the case with every Official, but it was upsetting that we could not even talk with some of them.”

One day, Daniel and his college teammate heard the Region was looking for new Officials, and they thought it could be a great opportunity to not only make some money on the weekends, but to also prove that they could officiate a match and be kind to the teams at the same time.

“My first years of working as an Official were all about learning, listening to my mentors, attending national clinics, working a lot of games and trying to improve every day,” shared Daniel. “Being a Volleyball Official is a lot of fun. It is a great way to stay involved with the game. You make friends with people from different parts of the country, you make your own schedule, you can work on the weekends or even after your regular work hours and make some extra money. Officiating can also teach you many skills like communication, leadership, emotional intelligence, discipline, focus and attention to detail, integrity and fairness.”

17 years ago, Daniel began his officiating journey, and what once was a way to make some money on the side has turned into a fulfilling career. When he moved to the U.S. in 2017, he had to start his officiating certification from the beginning even though he had been officiating in Colombia for eight years. It was a frustrating experience, but he chose to stay committed and work his way back up.

“I am grateful I did not give up,” shared Daniel. “It gave me a deeper appreciation for the process, helped me grow both as a person and as an Official, and taught me the value of resilience.”

In 2023 Daniel stopped coaching and decided to make Officiating his main job. He wanted to challenge himself to see how far he could go with his career as a Volleyball Official, and because he truly loves his job. Daniel is a Nationally Certified Official who travels to officiate Division I college matches, high school and junior volleyball matches across the country, including JVA events.

Daniel is top right officiating at the 2025 JVA World Challenge in Louisville, Kentucky.

“I get to watch the sport that I like, make really good friends, learn a lot from interacting with other people, travel, have the opportunity to improve as an Official with meetings, clinics, conventions, and make my own schedule. It has not been easy, but I have enjoyed everything about this process,” added Daniel.

Daniel is also honored to share what he knows with the younger generation of Officials by working at camps and tournaments with Junior Officials who want to start their journey. He shared this quote as his inspiration: ‘Teaching is the act of sharing the knowledge we have been given by others with hope that someday, it will again be passed on’ ~Unknown

Through his officiating journey Daniel has made some of his best friends.

“Volleyball is a big family. We take care of each other. We provide mentorship and support for new Officials,” expressed Daniel. “Every time I work a JVA tournament, I am very excited because I know I am going to have a great time not only because they provide hotels, food, uniforms and competitive pay for the referees, but also because of the level of play; it has increased a lot in the last few years. I also feel JVA is doing a great job by including new referees to its tournaments and by making everybody feel welcome at every event.”

JVA values the service Officials provide to junior volleyball. We encourage those who are passionate about the game and want to find a career in junior volleyball to consider becoming a Certified Official. Contact JVA Head Official Joseph O’Neal today.

Learn about JVA’s Officials Reward Program.