Staff make the call to stick with activity they love

Nearly half of the 14 members of WSU’s sport club for officiating (umpires, referees, etc.) are also WSU staff members. And, not so coincidentally, they all work at University Recreation.

“Many of us started as officials when we were undergraduates,” explains Carly Morse, coordinator of sports clubs and youth programs for URec.

“We advanced up the ladder and eventually made this field (recreation) our career,” adds Dave Pearson, URec coordinator of intramural sports. “Though we are now professionals, officiating is still a natural extension of what we already do.”

Indeed, it is usually the more experienced staff members of the club who are the officers. They are the ones who conduct clinics for other members and who lead the approximately twice monthly topical meetings.

“By being involved in the club I am able to help expose students to officiating in much the same way I was in college,” says Jeff Elbracht, associate director of programs for URec.

“Personal examples and stories make it easier to relate to younger officials and give what I am teaching them a level of credibility,” says Pearson.

Staff members mentor younger club members in officiating skills. And they supplement their own income, as well.

“Officiating is an excellent second income,” says Shane Bennett, URec coordinator for intramural sports and special events. “My wife (Tena Bennett, who also works at URec) and I make approximately an extra $7,000-$8,000 a year officiating.”

Of course, there are challenges to officiating as well: The initial investments of money and time for equipment and training; the continuing time commitment, perhaps four nights a week away from home; and the pressure to officiate fairly.

“It is definitely not as easy as it looks,” Morse says.

Club members usually specialize in a few sports. The WSU club provides officials for other club sports, but members work most of their games for area school and community sports, including soccer, football, volleyball, basketball, baseball and softball. They work approximately two to four nights and/or weekend days per week during their sport’s season.

“Officiating is a large time commitment,” Elbracht admits. Since marrying and becoming a father, he has scaled back the number of sports he works. He says he plans to share officiating with his son, rather than let it detract from their time together.

Meanwhile, Bennett enjoys helping student club members achieve their goals, like Jeff Gates’ hopes of becoming a major league baseball umpire. And Bennett has some officiating goals of his own. He regularly officiates at summer basketball camps in order to be evaluated, which is a step on his path toward officiating in the college ranks some day.

Club Hoppin’ is an occasional series of articles about some of the lesser-known of the 25 clubs in the WSU Sport Club Federation. Faculty and staff are welcome to participate, though in some sports competition is restricted to students.