Dave Hargreaves

Dave’s interest in athletics and competition began in high school when he moved with his family to Joseph, Oregon just prior to his freshman year in High School. He was active in football and track there for two years before moving back to Idaho and Wendell High, continuing to participate in football and track. At the College of Idaho, he played football before an injury sidelined him. He then started working for the athletic department where he taped athletes for injury and preventative support and cared for many aspects of players and teams for three years.

His degrees in physical education, health, and psychology and a masters in school administration allowed him to go into education, coaching, and administration where he was employed by the Vallivue School District for 34 years. During this time, he taught physical education, health, math, and social studies at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels, and as middle school athletic director and vice principal. While teaching, he also coached several elementary sports programs, middle school football, volleyball, basketball, and many years of high school track.

But during his time of teaching, he also made time to become involved with sports officiating and spent over 20 years officiating high school boys’ and girls’ basketball, college boys’ and girls’ basketball, as well as officiating junior high, high school, and college track meets. During this officiating time from 1972 to 1994, Dave was selected to officiate thirteen state tournaments. The last four years of officiating, Dave worked over 84 basketball games each year on the HS and collegiate level. His final year of officiating, he was asked to “try out” and officiate an NBA basketball game, with the intent to recruit him to become a professional official. He turned it down due to injury and desire to remain in Idaho and education full time. After his injuries prevented him from ever running again, he continued his love of sports and officiating by becoming a certified track official and starter which he continued to do until health problems recently prevented him from continuing.

While working in athletics and education during the school year, Dave also spent 46 of his summers as director of Sawtooth United Methodist Camp, which is north of Fairfield Idaho.

There, his ministry included expanding and managing the camp, while continuing to work with and inspire youth. He also traveled the northwest, doing camp evaluations for the American Camping Association throughout Idaho and Oregon, making sure camps were taken care of, following guidelines, and that campers were safe.

Just to make sure he “kept busy”, Dave also traveled whenever he had the opportunity. He has visited 46 of the 50 states, Mexico, England, Bahamas, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, Hungary, Germany, Austria, and much of our precious state of Idaho.

Dave has enjoyed a number of hobbies including motorcycles, snowmobiles, vacationing in national parks, and building numerous buildings including his home and many buildings at the camp he managed.

Dave was blessed with a family who supported him in all this work and he very much appreciated them all. He lost his first wife of 43 years in 2011 with whom he had two children and then acquired 2 grandchildren. A second lady came and filled a gap in his life and has kept him alive with her enthusiasm and support as he ages (gracefully?). But some of the most memorable times at the height of his active life have been the camaraderie with his peers in the pleasure of helping athletes have the best competition experiences possible. “Once an official, always an official” was a statement learned from many experiences with athletes and coaches! Best wishes to all who take up “the call” and have the strength to MAKE THE CALL!