Recognition and honor for a man who devoted decades to helping New Mexico’s young athletes compete and succeed.
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or more than 50 years, my father would leave his office or our house in Albuquerque, and drive to far-off towns in New Mexico. His pick-up truck always had a large duffel bag, filled with everything he needed for his journeys: clean officiating uniforms, court shoes, field cleats, and plenty of whistles. From Alamogordo to Zuni (and every letter in between), dad officiated youth and high school baseball, softball, football, basketball and volleyball. If you were a New Mexico sports coach or parent, you probably knew Lt. Col. Cecil A. Lynn, Jr. Not as the U.S. Air Force engineer who worked at Kirtland AFB and the Army National Guard Armory in Santa Fe, but as the guy meticulously raking and lining baseball and softball fields, or carefully folding and stowing volleyball nets. Sometimes a clock operator or scorekeeper forgot to show up, and bingo, dad was doing two jobs at once. I know these stories well, because on many weekends I accompanied him, along with my sisters, Barbara and Denise, for games and tournaments. We met and helped dad deal with officials, players, coaches and parents. What we didn’t realize was that we were taking his master class in sports management, public relations and community development. Dad saw sports as a perfect vehicle to enrich and strengthen communities. He hoped that children involved in sports would stay out of trouble. He hoped parents would meet and mingle in bleachers to support all of the neighborhood kids, and that coaches and officials would serve as trusted role models. He knew the kids in the playgrounds would one day be community leaders, teachers, and coaches to their own kids, and his grandkids. With my dad’s encouragement, I officiated my first softball game at Los Altos Park when I was just 13 years old. The park was familiar to me and my sisters, as we spent many weekends there watching my
(Above) Mr. Lynn umpiring a close play at the plate during a softball game in Santa Fe, circa 1980. (Below) Posing with his son, Cecil A. Lynn III, in 2015.
father pitch in a men’s fast-pitch league. As I scanned the parking lot for our favorite snow-cone truck, dad reminded me of the business at hand. He handed me a striped umpire’s shirt and ball/strike indicator—it was time. My father, beaming with pride, took his place behind home plate as his apprentice jogged slowly, yet confidently, between first and second base. My father got to know many of the student-athletes that he coached and whose games he officiated. He encouraged them to perform both on the field, in the
gym and in the classroom. He recognized that a strong and consistent performance in sports combined with the same level of commitment to academics was a recipe for a collegiate scholarship. My father retired from sports officiating several years ago, and was honored to be inducted into the New Mexico Officiating Association Hall of Fame in 2018. In his later years, he spent much of his time cheering on his grandkids, Samantha and Cecil IV, as they played volleyball and basketball. He attended their games, coaching them on the finer intricacies of their chosen sport. When COVID-19 hit, he watched their recorded games on his laptop. He was their biggest fan until the end. Last year, my father lost his battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He died on Thanksgiving Day—also my birthday. Part of my father’s legacy was his belief that anyone could learn to referee youth sports—and that everyone could make a difference by doing so. He used to recruit friends, neighbors, co-workers—even members of his church congregation. I recently signed up once again to coach and officiate youth sports. I truly hope that those who enjoy playing and watching sports will join me. — CECIL A. LYNN III
HEADS OR TAILS, SPORTS OFFICIAL LEFT A WINNING LEGACY A coin has been minted to posthumously honor Lynn for his achievements as a sports official, coach, and officiating clinic organizer. The Lynn family recently partnered with the New Mexico Activities Association to produce 1,500 of the commemorative coins, which have been distributed to state sports officials to flip at the beginning of this season’s high school football and volleyball games. The coin was also flipped to begin the New Mexico State vs Hawaii football game last month in Las Cruces, and talks are in the works to have the coin flipped by the New
Mexico Lobos, as well. “My family and I are grateful for all of the generosity and support we received,” says Cecil A. Lynn III. “We will continue to spread my father’s lifelong message about sports ambassadorship.” The family also launched the Cecil A. Lynn Jr. Scholarship, awarded to an outstanding New Mexico male and female student-athlete. The inaugural 2022 winners were RyLee Crandall of Artesia High School and Melaki Jones of Española Valley High School. For information, please visit lynnscholarship.com.