Joe Rydel called his first strike before he could even drive a car.

He began umpiring at 14. His mom had to drive him to the field.

These days, the 28-year-old spends his weekdays teaching fifth grade at Morris Bye Elementary in Coon Rapids. But when the school bell rings and summer rolls around, he’s back behind the plate, calling balls and strikes at games.

Come winter, he trades the diamond for the mat, refereeing high school wrestling.

“It keeps me busy and out of trouble,” Rydel joked.

Many youth and high school sports rely on a gig economy of part-time officials and coaches to function.

Rydel’s side gigs are a helpful supplement to his teaching income. At about $150 per game, and with roughly 100 games a year, he earns around $15,000 from umpiring alone — plus another $5,000 from wrestling season.

What keeps him coming back? The flexibility.

“You can make it what you want to make it,” Rydel said. Plus, he just got married in October, so “having a little bit of extra income there didn’t hurt.”

While officials who work multiple games a week can earn a modest supplemental income, officiating at that level is generally not viewed as a full-time career.

Mark Hillen, owner of i9 Sports Northwest Metro Minneapolis, employs about 25 part-time staff members to referee and coach for youth recreational sports.

His employees range from college students to older adults with more experience.

“They’re able to make some money while doing something that they feel is fulfilling and rewarding,” Hillen said. “It’s a good combination.”

From officiating games to coaching club teams, individuals looking for some extra cash have turned to youth and high school sports as a reliable side hustle.

“A majority of guys, they do have other jobs,” Rydel said. “This is just another income, or a side hustle.”

Many of them are teachers, like Rydel, for whom stepping onto the field after school feels like a natural extension of their day jobs. The schedules align, games and practices typically happen after school hours or during the summer and the skills transfer easily.

On a Friday morning in August, Rydel was on the bases at Red Haddox Field in Bloomington for the opening game of the 2025 Minnesota Division I Junior Legion tournament.

Rydel takes his job as umpire seriously.

He’s also the president of East Central Umpires Association, where he assigns umpires within the Minnesota State High School League to games.

Seth Pugh, 42, an association member, also has umpired since high school. He teaches third grade at Saint Raphael Catholic School in Crystal, where he attended as a child.

Pugh coaches freshman football and baseball at Totino-Grace High School in Fridley, referees varsity football in the fall and umpires baseball in the spring and summer.

On top of his $41,000 teaching salary, his side jobs bring in an extra $20,000 to $25,000 — income Pugh considers his “fun money” for hobbies like fishing.

“The busy lifestyle — that’s all I’ve known," he said. And it’s convenient: “I get two jobs in by the time some people get one.”

Jason Potts, 39, is the head football coach at Edina High School and also teaches health and physical education.

For him, there’s a deeper draw to being a coach beyond logistics: a shared passion for helping young people grow, whether in the classroom or through sports, he said.

Add in the appeal of supplemental income, and it’s clear why so many find their second calling on the sidelines.

While coaching adds $7,600 to his $83,000 teaching salary, Potts says it’s not about the money.

“I love it,” he said. “It’s a huge component of what I find rewarding and fulfilling in my career.”

The same goes for Waheed Ayinde, 61, who has coached and refereed youth soccer across the Twin Cities for more than two decades. He grew up playing sports in Nigeria — especially field hockey and soccer — and even played both sports professionally.

“This is not an income for me, just an interest,” said Ayinde, who works full time as an information security analyst at U.S. Bank.

Decades later, for Ayinde, Rydel and Pugh, they are still at it — not because they have to, but because they want to. And without people like them, youth and high school sports wouldn’t function smoothly.

“The money is well worth it,” Rydel said. “And it’s just nice to be at a field on a nice night sometimes too.”