Feature Articles
The following stories on ABOA members have appeared in various newspapers and magazines.
Karen Lasuik
WNBA or bust: NCAA, CIS leagues may only be whistle stops for pioneering referee
EDMONTON - Karen Lasuik did not start out with a lofty have-whistle-will-travel-the-world athletic dream.
She had no idea her passion and talent for basketball, her thick skin and officiating skill set would one day see her jetting all over the Pacific Northwest each weekend, earning hefty paycheques calling Division 1 NCAA women's games in front of thousands of people at university arenas in the basketball-mad United States. That's not to mention international assignments in places like Tunisia, Mexico, Puerto Rico and, next July, the Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro. She hopes to be assigned to the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008.
Lasuik is one of 16 Canadians -- four of them women -- who are certified by FIBA, the international basketball federation. She's in elite company, literally. But Lasuik didn't start out with any ambition to be a pro basketball referee in the WNBA, although that's certainly her goal now. She was just a full-time schoolteacher and a pretty darn good ex-Red Deer College varsity ballplayer who was frustrated UP TO HERE, with the quality of officiating in the adult rec basketball league she played in. "So, do something about it," a friend suggested. "You seem to know what you're talking about."
Which is how she came to join the Edmonton Basketball Referees Association back in 1993. The rest is not merely history, but geography, arithmetic and phys ed all rolled into an impressive officiating career. She started at the junior high school level and swiftly moved up the ranks to Alberta Colleges Athletic Association games in 1996, then CIS (Canadian Inter-university Sport) men's and women's games in '99. She was good, as was apparent to Dana Senders, a basketball officials supervisor with the the NCAA Division 1 West Coast Conference, who met Lasuik at an officials seminar in Edmonton in the late '90s. "It's too bad that you live in Canada because I could really use you," Lasuik remembers Senders telling her. "I didn't think too much of it at the time because I didn't think it was realistic."
Turns out the pathway to the U.S. big time was hard, but not impossible. Lasuik had become FIBA-certified in '99, a professional classification that enabled her to qualify for a U.S. work visa three years ago, with the crucial and expensive help of an L.A.-based immigration lawyer. Anyway, once Lasuik jumped through the immigration hoops, her cross-border hoops career could begin, Lasuik explained during a rare weekend more-or-less off in Edmonton.
DEMANDING TRAVEL SCHEDULE
"This is the first weekend that I chose to stay home," Lasuik explained. "I am just thrilled to be in my own bed for a weekend. "I don't know how people can be professional officials and travel and travel and be at their home twice a month."
A visitor suggests that Lasuik knows the drill all too well. On a typical week, she will fly to the West Coast on Thursday morning to call a game at, say Santa Clara College, Steve Nash's alma mater, that evening. On Friday, it's off to Spokane to work a Division 2 game. On Saturday, she'll call a Gonzaga women's game at The Kennel -- home of the Bulldogs. Sunday she flies home to Edmonton to get ready to teach grade 7 to 9 at Blueberry Community School in Stony Plain. She also coaches the boys' Grade 9 basketball team and is the head evaluator for the Edmonton Basketball Referees Association.
"This is the first (season) that I'm going full bore at this, and I did not anticipate how worn out I'd be," Lasuik said, who keeps herself fit by working out, playing fastball, hockey and basketball and running marathons. "I try to make sure that I eat well and get a lot of sleep. But your patterns are so messed up when you're travelling. It's crazy."
The money is one incentive. Lasuik will work about 45 games in total, divided among the Big Sky, the West Coast and the Pac-10 -- all Divison 1 NCAA conferences -- this season. She earns $625 in the Big Sky, $675 in the West Coast and $900 in the Pac-10, where she expects to do about 10 games as a provisional referee, or trainee. That's compared to the $90 Cdn she earns for Canada West conference games, or the $65 she would be paid to work an ACAC game. There's college ball ... and then there's big-time college ball.
"The first time I refereed a Division 1 game, I was like, 'Oh, my God, these women play like men,' " Lasuik remembers of a Gonzaga game in Spokane. "They played harder than I had ever seen women play. Every game I do in the States, they beat the living tar out of each other. They make you (referees) make decisions. They'll knock each other down on the floor, they don't care. They're trying to make the WNBA is what they're trying to do."
So is Lasuik, who plans to attend a WNBA open tryout camp in Dallas next summer. Which means she'll have to demonstrate she can make those snap decisions consistently, as well as withstand the catcalls of the fans and the baiting from ultra-competitive Division 1 coaches. Lasuik heard several earfuls from one coach that first game back in 2004, and she knew it was coming. "They work rookies like rented mules, man," Lasuik said. "They know you're babies and they go after you like you wouldn't believe, trying to get a call out of you."
THICK SKIN A MUST
An evaluator of officials herself, Lasuik knows her work is painstakingly scrutinized in the States. There is only a slender margin for human error in her weekend job. "The cliche is that it's easier to get to Division 1 than to stay there," said Lasuik, who, like all NCAA officials is on a yearly contract. "You're really scrutinized closely. If you don't improve year by year, you won't last."
Which is where having a thick skin becomes crucial, not merely to survival, but to success. Staying cool and in control, she says, is as important as making the right calls. "You've got to believe in yourself," Lasuik said. "That's one of the toughest things to do, after you've made the right call and you've got the fans all over you, you've got the coach ripping you, you've got to go, 'You know what? You may not like it, but I know I made the right call and I know the tape is going to show it.' "If they know you're scared, they'll just go after you. But if you're not, they'll back off. I've learned that the hard way."
The feedback -- constructive and not-so constructive -- has helped sharpen her skills, which she hopes will be good enough to work in the WNBA. If she could land a pro contract, she could probably make a full-time career as a ref, between the pro league and the NCAA work she does.
For now, though, she juggles refereeing in four conferences in two countries with teaching, evaluating and a brutal travel schedule. "Sometimes, I'll come home and I'll go, 'Man, do I need this stress?' " Lasuik said. "I'm a perfectionist and if I'm not performing as well as I should be, if I'm not on top of my game, which can happen, I beat myself up for days. Why do I do this to myself? Because I love it. And it's not the money that I love. It's because I love doing what I do. I am so fortunate to be able to say, 'I ref Division 1 basketball in the United States.' I'm living a dream that I never really thought would come true."
jmackinnon@thejournal.canwest.com
© The Edmonton Journal 2007
She had no idea her passion and talent for basketball, her thick skin and officiating skill set would one day see her jetting all over the Pacific Northwest each weekend, earning hefty paycheques calling Division 1 NCAA women's games in front of thousands of people at university arenas in the basketball-mad United States. That's not to mention international assignments in places like Tunisia, Mexico, Puerto Rico and, next July, the Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro. She hopes to be assigned to the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008.
Lasuik is one of 16 Canadians -- four of them women -- who are certified by FIBA, the international basketball federation. She's in elite company, literally. But Lasuik didn't start out with any ambition to be a pro basketball referee in the WNBA, although that's certainly her goal now. She was just a full-time schoolteacher and a pretty darn good ex-Red Deer College varsity ballplayer who was frustrated UP TO HERE, with the quality of officiating in the adult rec basketball league she played in. "So, do something about it," a friend suggested. "You seem to know what you're talking about."
Which is how she came to join the Edmonton Basketball Referees Association back in 1993. The rest is not merely history, but geography, arithmetic and phys ed all rolled into an impressive officiating career. She started at the junior high school level and swiftly moved up the ranks to Alberta Colleges Athletic Association games in 1996, then CIS (Canadian Inter-university Sport) men's and women's games in '99. She was good, as was apparent to Dana Senders, a basketball officials supervisor with the the NCAA Division 1 West Coast Conference, who met Lasuik at an officials seminar in Edmonton in the late '90s. "It's too bad that you live in Canada because I could really use you," Lasuik remembers Senders telling her. "I didn't think too much of it at the time because I didn't think it was realistic."
Turns out the pathway to the U.S. big time was hard, but not impossible. Lasuik had become FIBA-certified in '99, a professional classification that enabled her to qualify for a U.S. work visa three years ago, with the crucial and expensive help of an L.A.-based immigration lawyer. Anyway, once Lasuik jumped through the immigration hoops, her cross-border hoops career could begin, Lasuik explained during a rare weekend more-or-less off in Edmonton.
DEMANDING TRAVEL SCHEDULE
"This is the first weekend that I chose to stay home," Lasuik explained. "I am just thrilled to be in my own bed for a weekend. "I don't know how people can be professional officials and travel and travel and be at their home twice a month."
A visitor suggests that Lasuik knows the drill all too well. On a typical week, she will fly to the West Coast on Thursday morning to call a game at, say Santa Clara College, Steve Nash's alma mater, that evening. On Friday, it's off to Spokane to work a Division 2 game. On Saturday, she'll call a Gonzaga women's game at The Kennel -- home of the Bulldogs. Sunday she flies home to Edmonton to get ready to teach grade 7 to 9 at Blueberry Community School in Stony Plain. She also coaches the boys' Grade 9 basketball team and is the head evaluator for the Edmonton Basketball Referees Association.
"This is the first (season) that I'm going full bore at this, and I did not anticipate how worn out I'd be," Lasuik said, who keeps herself fit by working out, playing fastball, hockey and basketball and running marathons. "I try to make sure that I eat well and get a lot of sleep. But your patterns are so messed up when you're travelling. It's crazy."
The money is one incentive. Lasuik will work about 45 games in total, divided among the Big Sky, the West Coast and the Pac-10 -- all Divison 1 NCAA conferences -- this season. She earns $625 in the Big Sky, $675 in the West Coast and $900 in the Pac-10, where she expects to do about 10 games as a provisional referee, or trainee. That's compared to the $90 Cdn she earns for Canada West conference games, or the $65 she would be paid to work an ACAC game. There's college ball ... and then there's big-time college ball.
"The first time I refereed a Division 1 game, I was like, 'Oh, my God, these women play like men,' " Lasuik remembers of a Gonzaga game in Spokane. "They played harder than I had ever seen women play. Every game I do in the States, they beat the living tar out of each other. They make you (referees) make decisions. They'll knock each other down on the floor, they don't care. They're trying to make the WNBA is what they're trying to do."
So is Lasuik, who plans to attend a WNBA open tryout camp in Dallas next summer. Which means she'll have to demonstrate she can make those snap decisions consistently, as well as withstand the catcalls of the fans and the baiting from ultra-competitive Division 1 coaches. Lasuik heard several earfuls from one coach that first game back in 2004, and she knew it was coming. "They work rookies like rented mules, man," Lasuik said. "They know you're babies and they go after you like you wouldn't believe, trying to get a call out of you."
THICK SKIN A MUST
An evaluator of officials herself, Lasuik knows her work is painstakingly scrutinized in the States. There is only a slender margin for human error in her weekend job. "The cliche is that it's easier to get to Division 1 than to stay there," said Lasuik, who, like all NCAA officials is on a yearly contract. "You're really scrutinized closely. If you don't improve year by year, you won't last."
Which is where having a thick skin becomes crucial, not merely to survival, but to success. Staying cool and in control, she says, is as important as making the right calls. "You've got to believe in yourself," Lasuik said. "That's one of the toughest things to do, after you've made the right call and you've got the fans all over you, you've got the coach ripping you, you've got to go, 'You know what? You may not like it, but I know I made the right call and I know the tape is going to show it.' "If they know you're scared, they'll just go after you. But if you're not, they'll back off. I've learned that the hard way."
The feedback -- constructive and not-so constructive -- has helped sharpen her skills, which she hopes will be good enough to work in the WNBA. If she could land a pro contract, she could probably make a full-time career as a ref, between the pro league and the NCAA work she does.
For now, though, she juggles refereeing in four conferences in two countries with teaching, evaluating and a brutal travel schedule. "Sometimes, I'll come home and I'll go, 'Man, do I need this stress?' " Lasuik said. "I'm a perfectionist and if I'm not performing as well as I should be, if I'm not on top of my game, which can happen, I beat myself up for days. Why do I do this to myself? Because I love it. And it's not the money that I love. It's because I love doing what I do. I am so fortunate to be able to say, 'I ref Division 1 basketball in the United States.' I'm living a dream that I never really thought would come true."
jmackinnon@thejournal.canwest.com
© The Edmonton Journal 2007
Jake Steinbrenner
Edmonton NRG Blog
By Chris O'Leary
It’s tough to imagine what what it’d be like having someone taunting me while I wrote. I can’t tell you how I’d handle writing a story with some guy screaming over my shoulder, “Hey Paperboy, your medium is dying!” “Nice lede, schmuck. My six-year-old writes better!” “You’ve got your theres and theirs mixed up, genius!”
I know. I missed my calling as a heckler.
I might work in the middle of music blaring, through fans screaming or jeering and a million different things happening at once in the games I’m covering, but it’s always been a comfort to me that I do so in obscurity. Everyone’s watching the game, right? The focus is off of me.
The referees live life on the other side of that coin. Every call they make is judged. If the fans agree with the call, it might receive nothing more than a head nod in the midst of a conversation. If they disagree, look out.
“You get used to it,” Edmonton lead official Jake Steinbrenner told me during halftime of Sunday night’s Energy game.
"The tough, controversial, end of game calls, that’s when people pay attention, that’s what everyone remembers.
“It’s something that we obviously train for. But I don’t think it’s a good thing that we continually allow people to rant at the officials so they can embarrass or ridicule us, because then everything becomes like pro wrestling grandstanding, or UFC bloodlust. We don’t need that in any sport. Venting emotions and gamesmanship though are fine and can sometimes add to the excitement and fun."
If you watch basketball in Edmonton, you’ve seen Steinbrenner in action before. The referee assignor for Energy games, the Alberta Basketball Officials Association Evaluation Chair and an IBL, CIS and Edmonton official, he’s been around the local hoops scene at every competitive level of the game and a few not-so-competitive levels, too.
He emailed me last week, with some criticisms of a previous blog post that talked about the Edmonton IBL officials. In the email, he laid out the refs’ responsibilities on the court in these games.
“Our role is to apply the rules consistently in their spirit and intent so that the integrity of the game is upheld. This means ensuring it is fair and impartial for both teams without influence from criticism from coaches, players or fans. Also, to keep the game safe for the players and to maintain a "family friendly" atmosphere for the IBL product, as mandated by the IBL’s owner Mikal Duilio. We also try to maintain the excitement and entertainment inherent in the pro game, which calls for different rule applications than in amateur contests.”
Duilio, who was cc’d on the email, chimed in shortly after with what was some surprising info, to me at least.
“I have sent 4 to 6 memos over the last two seasons describing the Edmonton referees as the standard for the way they call the game; instead of ignoring sportsmanship problems, the Edmonton referees deal with sportsmanship issues with robotic, professional warnings and technical fouls- they way it should be done… I have sent at least 4 memos, at least… one went out about a week ago...”
And from that most recent memo:
“Edmonton is one of the few areas where they call the technical fouls correctly---robotically--- if a team does X, the referees penalize with Y (no emotion, no caring, just warnings and technicals)… Edmonton referees issue technicals when they are there, they do not ignore or ‘rise above’ because they care about keeping sportsmanship rules in place at all times and that is actually how it should be done everywhere… all of our referees are being asked to call the technical fouls as outlined in every rule book and in our rule book as well...”
Like I said in my previous post about the refs, I know that the Bellingham coaching staff was more than pleased with the jobs the refs did over their weekend in Edmonton at the beginning of May, and that Steinbrenner had good feedback from Tacoma coach Mark Lovelady prior to Sunday’s game. And while it’s true that I’ve heard harsh criticisms of the refs from both benches this season at MacEwan gym, those criticisms have come in the heat of the moment or immediately after a game. Duilio pointed this out to me in his email and even threw in a story of Edmonton refs T’ing him up when he was in town last year with his Oregon team:
“My team came up from Oregon last year and we got 3 technical fouls and all 3 were easily deserved… I wanted to win badly and not only did I agree with the 3 technical fouls but as a 15 year officiating veteran, I loved their calls as well, even though we did not win either game.”
Pre-game this past weekend, Paul Sir was appreciative for the most part of the work the Edmonton officials had done this year. It seems like whenever you talk with basketball folk before a game, you get a more neutral feeling on their impressions of the ref’s overall work.
From the time I started covering the Chill last year, I wondered if there were transitional issues for the refs going from calling CIS games to the IBL. Steinbrenner told me that’s not where the job gets hard.
“I don’t think it’s all that tough,” he said. “It might be tougher during the regular season. To do a CIS game, then Monday night a Division 6 men’s league game or a junior varsity high school game, that’s what’s tough.
“At least (from CIS to IBL) you’re comparing elite athletes. We let way more contact go here in the IBL because the key is to get to this (offensive) end of the court, where the fans want to see scoring. We don’t have to worry about calling fouls that we’d normally call at CIS. There and at developmental levels it’s about teaching fundamental skills and things like that. Here, we expect everyone to have those skills.”
Chris Oleary Blog June 23, 09
By Chris O'Leary
It’s tough to imagine what what it’d be like having someone taunting me while I wrote. I can’t tell you how I’d handle writing a story with some guy screaming over my shoulder, “Hey Paperboy, your medium is dying!” “Nice lede, schmuck. My six-year-old writes better!” “You’ve got your theres and theirs mixed up, genius!”
I know. I missed my calling as a heckler.
I might work in the middle of music blaring, through fans screaming or jeering and a million different things happening at once in the games I’m covering, but it’s always been a comfort to me that I do so in obscurity. Everyone’s watching the game, right? The focus is off of me.
The referees live life on the other side of that coin. Every call they make is judged. If the fans agree with the call, it might receive nothing more than a head nod in the midst of a conversation. If they disagree, look out.
“You get used to it,” Edmonton lead official Jake Steinbrenner told me during halftime of Sunday night’s Energy game.
"The tough, controversial, end of game calls, that’s when people pay attention, that’s what everyone remembers.
“It’s something that we obviously train for. But I don’t think it’s a good thing that we continually allow people to rant at the officials so they can embarrass or ridicule us, because then everything becomes like pro wrestling grandstanding, or UFC bloodlust. We don’t need that in any sport. Venting emotions and gamesmanship though are fine and can sometimes add to the excitement and fun."
If you watch basketball in Edmonton, you’ve seen Steinbrenner in action before. The referee assignor for Energy games, the Alberta Basketball Officials Association Evaluation Chair and an IBL, CIS and Edmonton official, he’s been around the local hoops scene at every competitive level of the game and a few not-so-competitive levels, too.
He emailed me last week, with some criticisms of a previous blog post that talked about the Edmonton IBL officials. In the email, he laid out the refs’ responsibilities on the court in these games.
“Our role is to apply the rules consistently in their spirit and intent so that the integrity of the game is upheld. This means ensuring it is fair and impartial for both teams without influence from criticism from coaches, players or fans. Also, to keep the game safe for the players and to maintain a "family friendly" atmosphere for the IBL product, as mandated by the IBL’s owner Mikal Duilio. We also try to maintain the excitement and entertainment inherent in the pro game, which calls for different rule applications than in amateur contests.”
Duilio, who was cc’d on the email, chimed in shortly after with what was some surprising info, to me at least.
“I have sent 4 to 6 memos over the last two seasons describing the Edmonton referees as the standard for the way they call the game; instead of ignoring sportsmanship problems, the Edmonton referees deal with sportsmanship issues with robotic, professional warnings and technical fouls- they way it should be done… I have sent at least 4 memos, at least… one went out about a week ago...”
And from that most recent memo:
“Edmonton is one of the few areas where they call the technical fouls correctly---robotically--- if a team does X, the referees penalize with Y (no emotion, no caring, just warnings and technicals)… Edmonton referees issue technicals when they are there, they do not ignore or ‘rise above’ because they care about keeping sportsmanship rules in place at all times and that is actually how it should be done everywhere… all of our referees are being asked to call the technical fouls as outlined in every rule book and in our rule book as well...”
Like I said in my previous post about the refs, I know that the Bellingham coaching staff was more than pleased with the jobs the refs did over their weekend in Edmonton at the beginning of May, and that Steinbrenner had good feedback from Tacoma coach Mark Lovelady prior to Sunday’s game. And while it’s true that I’ve heard harsh criticisms of the refs from both benches this season at MacEwan gym, those criticisms have come in the heat of the moment or immediately after a game. Duilio pointed this out to me in his email and even threw in a story of Edmonton refs T’ing him up when he was in town last year with his Oregon team:
“My team came up from Oregon last year and we got 3 technical fouls and all 3 were easily deserved… I wanted to win badly and not only did I agree with the 3 technical fouls but as a 15 year officiating veteran, I loved their calls as well, even though we did not win either game.”
Pre-game this past weekend, Paul Sir was appreciative for the most part of the work the Edmonton officials had done this year. It seems like whenever you talk with basketball folk before a game, you get a more neutral feeling on their impressions of the ref’s overall work.
From the time I started covering the Chill last year, I wondered if there were transitional issues for the refs going from calling CIS games to the IBL. Steinbrenner told me that’s not where the job gets hard.
“I don’t think it’s all that tough,” he said. “It might be tougher during the regular season. To do a CIS game, then Monday night a Division 6 men’s league game or a junior varsity high school game, that’s what’s tough.
“At least (from CIS to IBL) you’re comparing elite athletes. We let way more contact go here in the IBL because the key is to get to this (offensive) end of the court, where the fans want to see scoring. We don’t have to worry about calling fouls that we’d normally call at CIS. There and at developmental levels it’s about teaching fundamental skills and things like that. Here, we expect everyone to have those skills.”
Chris Oleary Blog June 23, 09
Bob Sexsmith
Referee still keeps up with the kids at age 75
Bob Sexsmith's love for basketball has had him running the court for more than half a century
Cam Tait, The Edmonton Journal
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
When you see Bob Sexsmith walk into a school gymnasium, you would assume he's a grandfather about to take in a basketball game.
And you'd be right. But there's more.
Sexsmith, at the young age of 75, heads to a change room and puts on his referee shirt and shorts -- something he's been doing since 1956.
"When I can't keep up with the kids anymore, then it's time to quit," Sexsmith says, sitting on an old wooden bench at Venron Barford School during the Great Canadian Shoot Out tournament. The 24-team event saw junior high and high school players compete.
"I have a responsibility to the teams on the floor. And if I can't do a good job, then it's time for me to go."
But there are no signs of him slowing down. It's the beginning of July, and since January, Sexsmith has called close to 80 games.
"It's funny because I've never kept track of how many games I've actually done," he says. "But I know I've never done more than 120 in a year."
Sexsmith, the father of Global television reporter and anchor John Sexsmith, said he's healthy -- physically and mentally.
He officiates mainly junior high games throughout the city.
"I'm retired, so I can get to a 4 p.m. game, and other people who are working have trouble getting to a game that early," he says. "And in junior high, I know I can keep up to the game."
He does have arthritis in his hands. "But that doesn't keep me off the floor," Sexsmith says.
There was a time last winter when his arthritis was so bad almost every joint in his body ached. But it has since cleared up and he's back on the courts.
Sexsmith's love for basketball began while growing up in Winnipeg. He didn't start playing until Grade 9, though, and didn't play for very long after.
"One of my teachers started a house league at the YMCA in Winnipeg and asked me if I would like to ref," he recalls.
Sexsmith answered the challenge. Shortly after, he was asked to help with another league, and his 50 years as a ref were well underway.
Sexsmith later joined the Manitoba Basketball Association, where he was assigned to high school senior men's games, as well as college and university games.
In 1970 Sexsmith moved west to Edmonton because of a transfer on his day job with CIL (now Celanese Canada).
In the move he also packed along his stripes and whistle and started reffing for the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
Calling games at the university level in Edmonton led Sexsmith to several larger tournaments, including the national junior men's championship in Edmonton.
He's not infallable, though. He's heard the insults from the crowd over the years. He's withstood many heated words from coaches caught up in the moment. But he sees it all in perspective.
"They may be abusing you as an official," he says. "But they're not abusing you as a person."
Sexsmith continued running up and down floors of gymnasiums until 1985.
"I had some trouble with my back so I had to quit," he says.
But he didn't quit the game. Sexsmith turned his focus to evaluating and supervising officials.
When April 1995 rolled around, Sexsmith retired from his job and allowed his back to heal. In a short time he was back on the court again.
Over the years he has received many awards for his contribution. He's most proud of the Wink Willox Award he got in 1994 in Calgary for outstanding contributions made to basketball officiating.
Sexsmith wouldn't have been able to continue for so long without support from loved ones, including his wife of 49 years, Vera.
"Spouses and significant others sacrifice a lot so people like me can officiate," he says. "They prepare meals outside of the supper hour because that's when the games are. And they often go to functions by themselves because you've made a commitment to call a game."
So how many more games are left in Sexsmith?
He isn't sure.
"I know there will be lots of people telling me when I shouldn't be doing games anymore," he says with a chuckle.
"I just hope I know to quit before that."
ctait@thejournal.canwest.com
© The Edmonton Journal 2007
Bob Sexsmith's love for basketball has had him running the court for more than half a century
Cam Tait, The Edmonton Journal
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
When you see Bob Sexsmith walk into a school gymnasium, you would assume he's a grandfather about to take in a basketball game.
And you'd be right. But there's more.
Sexsmith, at the young age of 75, heads to a change room and puts on his referee shirt and shorts -- something he's been doing since 1956.
"When I can't keep up with the kids anymore, then it's time to quit," Sexsmith says, sitting on an old wooden bench at Venron Barford School during the Great Canadian Shoot Out tournament. The 24-team event saw junior high and high school players compete.
"I have a responsibility to the teams on the floor. And if I can't do a good job, then it's time for me to go."
"It's funny because I've never kept track of how many games I've actually done," he says. "But I know I've never done more than 120 in a year."
Sexsmith, the father of Global television reporter and anchor John Sexsmith, said he's healthy -- physically and mentally.
He officiates mainly junior high games throughout the city.
"I'm retired, so I can get to a 4 p.m. game, and other people who are working have trouble getting to a game that early," he says. "And in junior high, I know I can keep up to the game."
He does have arthritis in his hands. "But that doesn't keep me off the floor," Sexsmith says.
There was a time last winter when his arthritis was so bad almost every joint in his body ached. But it has since cleared up and he's back on the courts.
Sexsmith's love for basketball began while growing up in Winnipeg. He didn't start playing until Grade 9, though, and didn't play for very long after.
"One of my teachers started a house league at the YMCA in Winnipeg and asked me if I would like to ref," he recalls.
Sexsmith answered the challenge. Shortly after, he was asked to help with another league, and his 50 years as a ref were well underway.
Sexsmith later joined the Manitoba Basketball Association, where he was assigned to high school senior men's games, as well as college and university games.
In 1970 Sexsmith moved west to Edmonton because of a transfer on his day job with CIL (now Celanese Canada).
In the move he also packed along his stripes and whistle and started reffing for the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
Calling games at the university level in Edmonton led Sexsmith to several larger tournaments, including the national junior men's championship in Edmonton.
He's not infallable, though. He's heard the insults from the crowd over the years. He's withstood many heated words from coaches caught up in the moment. But he sees it all in perspective.
"They may be abusing you as an official," he says. "But they're not abusing you as a person."
Sexsmith continued running up and down floors of gymnasiums until 1985.
"I had some trouble with my back so I had to quit," he says.
But he didn't quit the game. Sexsmith turned his focus to evaluating and supervising officials.
When April 1995 rolled around, Sexsmith retired from his job and allowed his back to heal. In a short time he was back on the court again.
Over the years he has received many awards for his contribution. He's most proud of the Wink Willox Award he got in 1994 in Calgary for outstanding contributions made to basketball officiating.
Sexsmith wouldn't have been able to continue for so long without support from loved ones, including his wife of 49 years, Vera.
"Spouses and significant others sacrifice a lot so people like me can officiate," he says. "They prepare meals outside of the supper hour because that's when the games are. And they often go to functions by themselves because you've made a commitment to call a game."
So how many more games are left in Sexsmith?
He isn't sure.
"I know there will be lots of people telling me when I shouldn't be doing games anymore," he says with a chuckle.
"I just hope I know to quit before that."
ctait@thejournal.canwest.com
© The Edmonton Journal 2007
Richard Schear
Local finishes 41st year reffing 
Bow Island, AB
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 20:45
Local Content - Sports Blogs
By Rob Ficiur
Twenty-nine years as a teacher, 15 years (and counting) In Registered Education Savings Plans sales, and 41 years (and also counting) in refereeing basketball (jr. high, highsschool and college) and football adds up to one busy life for Redcliff’s Richard Schear.
Richard first began reffing after his finished university. During a high school basketball game, a call went against him. The call was so incorrect according to the rules of the day that Richard thought to himself, “I can ref, because I know the rules better than this fellow.” (In photo: Dick and his wife Kay)
Richard continues reffing for three reasons. First, he enjoys the camaraderie with the other officials. Second, it forces him to keep in good physical shape. Third, being a referee in high school sports, gives Richard a chance to stay in touch with the sports and interact with the youth of today. “By and large the youth who play high school sports are great kids. They will be the leaders of tomorrow.”
I thought that having at thick skin to filter out the rude comments from the fans was a requirement to be a referee. Richard told me that he rarely hears those comments because he is focused on his responsibility on the court / field. He added, “I am not flamboyant. Being a ref is not about bringing attention to myself. I am not in it for my fame.” Schear believes the highest compliment a referee can get is when the coach of the losing team comes up and thanks him for reffing a game.
Football games are more challenging to officiate because of the weather. Even when he comes to the game prepared for the elements, the weather in southern Alberta can change quickly. During football games, the officials are farther away from the crowd and can rarely hear the “suggestions” that come from the stands. Ironically more fans think they know the football rules than the basketball fans.
After 41 years of reffing Richard admits he has had a few unpleasant moments with coaches, players and fans. One time, as a basketball ref, Richard “missed a call” which resulted in a player having a bloody nose. Generally Richard’s response to these situations is to simply state “I don’t (can’t) see everything.” On this one occasion the player with the bloody nose rubbed some blood on Richard emphasize his displeasure with the missed call.
Richard isn’t worried about himself when coaches, fans and players lose it and become miserable. Instead he wonders what parents and coaches are teaching their youth when they berate the officials who are doing the best they can. He quickly added, “Most schools are very good at thanking you and treating the referees with respect.”
Probably the best change in basketball rules over the last while (at least from a referee's point of view) is the alternating possession rule which eliminates the jump ball during the game. That has really helped to speed up the game.
When asked what is the most misunderstood rule by the fans, Richard said, “In basketball, most fans don’t the difference between a charge and a block.” Fans should also know that there is no “over the back rule”. The only thing the basketball ref is looking for is if the player made contact with the other player.
In football the pass interference rule is not understood by fans. Pass interference is only called if the throw was a catchable ball. It is also hard for fans to know that the offensive player might be the one causing the pass interference not the defensive player.
Over four decades some rules have been modified to change the games. In years past a defensive football team would get the ball at the location of an offensive pass interference call.
In basketball the three point shot has changed the game. I suggested that the game suffered because too many athletes tried the three point hope shots. Richard disagreed. He said that adding the three point shot has allowed non-inside players to be more active in the game. The three point shot has made games closer as a losing team has more opportunities to make up deficits.
Richard has enjoyed his 41 years of reffing. He hopes that young people take the time to learn the rules of the game and become referees.
Photo below: Dick holding a pre-game captain's meeting
Bow Island, AB
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 20:45
Local Content - Sports Blogs
By Rob Ficiur
Richard first began reffing after his finished university. During a high school basketball game, a call went against him. The call was so incorrect according to the rules of the day that Richard thought to himself, “I can ref, because I know the rules better than this fellow.” (In photo: Dick and his wife Kay)
Richard continues reffing for three reasons. First, he enjoys the camaraderie with the other officials. Second, it forces him to keep in good physical shape. Third, being a referee in high school sports, gives Richard a chance to stay in touch with the sports and interact with the youth of today. “By and large the youth who play high school sports are great kids. They will be the leaders of tomorrow.”
I thought that having at thick skin to filter out the rude comments from the fans was a requirement to be a referee. Richard told me that he rarely hears those comments because he is focused on his responsibility on the court / field. He added, “I am not flamboyant. Being a ref is not about bringing attention to myself. I am not in it for my fame.” Schear believes the highest compliment a referee can get is when the coach of the losing team comes up and thanks him for reffing a game.
Football games are more challenging to officiate because of the weather. Even when he comes to the game prepared for the elements, the weather in southern Alberta can change quickly. During football games, the officials are farther away from the crowd and can rarely hear the “suggestions” that come from the stands. Ironically more fans think they know the football rules than the basketball fans.
After 41 years of reffing Richard admits he has had a few unpleasant moments with coaches, players and fans. One time, as a basketball ref, Richard “missed a call” which resulted in a player having a bloody nose. Generally Richard’s response to these situations is to simply state “I don’t (can’t) see everything.” On this one occasion the player with the bloody nose rubbed some blood on Richard emphasize his displeasure with the missed call.
Richard isn’t worried about himself when coaches, fans and players lose it and become miserable. Instead he wonders what parents and coaches are teaching their youth when they berate the officials who are doing the best they can. He quickly added, “Most schools are very good at thanking you and treating the referees with respect.”
Probably the best change in basketball rules over the last while (at least from a referee's point of view) is the alternating possession rule which eliminates the jump ball during the game. That has really helped to speed up the game.
When asked what is the most misunderstood rule by the fans, Richard said, “In basketball, most fans don’t the difference between a charge and a block.” Fans should also know that there is no “over the back rule”. The only thing the basketball ref is looking for is if the player made contact with the other player.
In football the pass interference rule is not understood by fans. Pass interference is only called if the throw was a catchable ball. It is also hard for fans to know that the offensive player might be the one causing the pass interference not the defensive player.
Over four decades some rules have been modified to change the games. In years past a defensive football team would get the ball at the location of an offensive pass interference call.
In basketball the three point shot has changed the game. I suggested that the game suffered because too many athletes tried the three point hope shots. Richard disagreed. He said that adding the three point shot has allowed non-inside players to be more active in the game. The three point shot has made games closer as a losing team has more opportunities to make up deficits.
Richard has enjoyed his 41 years of reffing. He hopes that young people take the time to learn the rules of the game and become referees.
Photo below: Dick holding a pre-game captain's meeting
Michael Weiland
Ref eyes roundball history
July 15, 2010
By Steve Carp
Globe and Mail Update
It is believed that no Canadian has officiated an NBA game, but Calgary's Michael Weiland is determined to be the one,
It's not just in the casinos on the Strip where some dreams are being realized and others shattered.
A few kilometres east, on the University of Nevada-Las Vegas campus, basketball prospects and former stars alike are playing in the NBA Summer League this week, hoping to show a team they're good enough to fill out a roster as the 12th or 13th man this coming fall.
Then there's Michael Weiland.
The 29-year-old from Calgary is here working as a referee and similarly trying to show he's got enough game to officiate at the NBA level. The odds are impossibly long. In the league's long history, it is believed that no Canadian has officiated an NBA game.
"It's always been a dream of mine," Weiland said.
To get there, he had to get it done here in his three game assignments - an overtime thriller between Dallas and Milwaukee, and a couple of one-sided affairs as Denver routed Chicago and the Bulls hammered the Los Angeles Clippers.
"It's been a great week," Weiland said. "I knew it would be faster and quicker here and the biggest challenge is not just the speed of the game and the athleticism, but the fact that where normally I'd have a full second to make a call and get it right, here that second becomes a split second and the pressure to get it right is even greater than normal."
Michael's father John officiated internationally for more than 20 years, including assignments at the world championships, Pan Am Games, European championships and the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and served as the long-time assigner for the Calgary Basketball Officials Association.
Michael played at St. Francis High and started refereeing at age 15, working his way up through recreational, high school and community college leagues. Five years ago, he began to work CIS games and last summer earned his card from FIBA, basketball's world organizing body.
"I had actually refereed hockey when I was 12," he said. "But hockey parents tend to be a little nuts. ... After I graduated high school, I decided [refereeing] was a way to stay connected to basketball and also a good transition for me since officiating runs in my family."
Two hundred officials applied to the NBA Development League's tryout camp in Chantilly, Virginia, in early June, and 60 were selected, Weiland among them. A couple weeks later, he received a call from the NBA. Would he be available to work the Vegas Summer League? Eighteen men and women had been chosen.
"When they called to invite me, it was an emotional thing for both me and my dad," Weiland said. "I had no idea how I had done in Virginia. But when I got the call, it told me I had performed well."
In Las Vegas, the NBA's referee evaluation staff scrutinized his every move, each trip down the floor.
"First, we're looking for fitness and athleticism - can that person handle the physical pace of keeping up with the play?" said George Tolliver, the NBA's supervisor of officials for the D-League. "Second, we're looking for court presence. How do they project themselves? How do they conduct themselves with the players and coaches and how do they interact with their fellow officials?
"Finally, there's play calling. Are they showing the ability to read and make the right calls?"
In the second quarter of the Bulls-Clippers game, the Clippers' Trey Johnson steamrolled Chicago's James Johnson going to the hoop. However, James Johnson had not established position and Weiland, who was in the right spot underneath the basket, saw the play clearly. He called a block on the Bulls forward, sending Trey Johnson to the foul line.
It's one of the toughest calls for a basketball official to make. But Weiland appeared to have gotten it right.
It is league policy not to publicly evaluate its officials but of Weiland, Tolliver said: "Mike's got a positive skill set. He's not a guy we looked at and said, 'Oh, my God, what did we do here?' He belongs here this week.
"When Mike came to Virginia in June, he passed the first interview. Now, he's here in Vegas on his second interview."
The plan is to hire 10 to 12 new referees in September to work in the D-League this fall. If Weiland were to get one of those precious assignments, he'll earn anywhere from $375 to $1,000 (US) per game. More importantly, by continuing to progress over the next five years, he could be hired to work an NBA season as a salaried staff member.
"For me, it would be a sense of pride and accomplishment," he said. "There are only 60 NBA referees in the world and to be included in that club would be amazing."
Special to the Globe and Mail
By Steve Carp
Globe and Mail Update
It is believed that no Canadian has officiated an NBA game, but Calgary's Michael Weiland is determined to be the one,
It's not just in the casinos on the Strip where some dreams are being realized and others shattered.
A few kilometres east, on the University of Nevada-Las Vegas campus, basketball prospects and former stars alike are playing in the NBA Summer League this week, hoping to show a team they're good enough to fill out a roster as the 12th or 13th man this coming fall.
Then there's Michael Weiland.
The 29-year-old from Calgary is here working as a referee and similarly trying to show he's got enough game to officiate at the NBA level. The odds are impossibly long. In the league's long history, it is believed that no Canadian has officiated an NBA game.
"It's always been a dream of mine," Weiland said.
To get there, he had to get it done here in his three game assignments - an overtime thriller between Dallas and Milwaukee, and a couple of one-sided affairs as Denver routed Chicago and the Bulls hammered the Los Angeles Clippers.
"It's been a great week," Weiland said. "I knew it would be faster and quicker here and the biggest challenge is not just the speed of the game and the athleticism, but the fact that where normally I'd have a full second to make a call and get it right, here that second becomes a split second and the pressure to get it right is even greater than normal."
Michael's father John officiated internationally for more than 20 years, including assignments at the world championships, Pan Am Games, European championships and the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and served as the long-time assigner for the Calgary Basketball Officials Association.
Michael played at St. Francis High and started refereeing at age 15, working his way up through recreational, high school and community college leagues. Five years ago, he began to work CIS games and last summer earned his card from FIBA, basketball's world organizing body.
"I had actually refereed hockey when I was 12," he said. "But hockey parents tend to be a little nuts. ... After I graduated high school, I decided [refereeing] was a way to stay connected to basketball and also a good transition for me since officiating runs in my family."
Two hundred officials applied to the NBA Development League's tryout camp in Chantilly, Virginia, in early June, and 60 were selected, Weiland among them. A couple weeks later, he received a call from the NBA. Would he be available to work the Vegas Summer League? Eighteen men and women had been chosen.
"When they called to invite me, it was an emotional thing for both me and my dad," Weiland said. "I had no idea how I had done in Virginia. But when I got the call, it told me I had performed well."
In Las Vegas, the NBA's referee evaluation staff scrutinized his every move, each trip down the floor.
"First, we're looking for fitness and athleticism - can that person handle the physical pace of keeping up with the play?" said George Tolliver, the NBA's supervisor of officials for the D-League. "Second, we're looking for court presence. How do they project themselves? How do they conduct themselves with the players and coaches and how do they interact with their fellow officials?
"Finally, there's play calling. Are they showing the ability to read and make the right calls?"
In the second quarter of the Bulls-Clippers game, the Clippers' Trey Johnson steamrolled Chicago's James Johnson going to the hoop. However, James Johnson had not established position and Weiland, who was in the right spot underneath the basket, saw the play clearly. He called a block on the Bulls forward, sending Trey Johnson to the foul line.
It's one of the toughest calls for a basketball official to make. But Weiland appeared to have gotten it right.
It is league policy not to publicly evaluate its officials but of Weiland, Tolliver said: "Mike's got a positive skill set. He's not a guy we looked at and said, 'Oh, my God, what did we do here?' He belongs here this week.
"When Mike came to Virginia in June, he passed the first interview. Now, he's here in Vegas on his second interview."
The plan is to hire 10 to 12 new referees in September to work in the D-League this fall. If Weiland were to get one of those precious assignments, he'll earn anywhere from $375 to $1,000 (US) per game. More importantly, by continuing to progress over the next five years, he could be hired to work an NBA season as a salaried staff member.
"For me, it would be a sense of pride and accomplishment," he said. "There are only 60 NBA referees in the world and to be included in that club would be amazing."
Special to the Globe and Mail
