Black, White and In Between

They're the men in stripes. The zebras. The guys some love to hate, and most don't notice until you disagree with them. They are the officials, whose job it is to keep athletic competitions fair and the game's rules intact. And if you're attending an athletic contest around the Wichita area, there is a good chance that one of those guys running up and down the court or gridiron has Schepis for a last name. It seems when Phil Schepis caught the officiating bug nearly three decades ago, it set the stage for a refereeing dynasty, or at least a striped family affair. Phil, 63, and sons Josh, 35, Jamie, 30, and Joel, 28, all referee varsity, JV and non-varsity sports in Wichita. They work football, basketball and baseball. "It's satisfying having all of us involved this way," says Phil. "When I started doing this so long ago I never thought I'd still be reffing and that my sons would be, too. It's a great way to stay involved and be near sports." "I really enjoy reffing with my sons," he added. "We have worked three-man basketball crews a lot. My favorite memory was doing a JV football game at Collegiate that all four of us worked together. Jamie was back on leave from the military, so it was really special. That was 7-8 years ago, but I still remember that game." Athletics has always been in Phil's blood. He ran cross country and track at Wichita State. He was one of those dads who always volunteered to coach his sons' youth sports teams. He even organized teams so his sons and their friends could compete. He coached AAU basketball teams, little league football squads and the Strider Track Club. He traded the coaching whistle for a referee's whistle when his boys got into school athletics. A few years later, his oldest son, Josh, started refereeing Biddy Basketball games. "I started reffing when I was 14 - dad had started a few years before," Josh says. "He always made sure I knew the rules and what to do during the games. We'd work four games a night. It was a fun environment, and we loved being around sports." Now that he's an adult, Josh's whole livelihood revolves around sports. He is the athletic director and basketball coach for Brooks Middle School in Wichita. In addition to officiating high school and college basketball, football and baseball games, he coaches cross country for Newman University. Although his schedule is packed, Josh says the officiating and sports seasons rarely interfere with one another. "I wouldn't have it any other way," Josh says. "It sure beats working. "My best friends are baseball and basketball officials. I love the time we spend in the car [driving to games]. The experience of being around the games, the stories we can share, being together at halftime and sharing about unique plays are all part of what makes reffing special for me." It's a special bond all the Schepis "boys" share. Although Josh has the most complete officiating resume, each Schepis brings his own special attributes to the field of play. Phil is the consummate professional. More than any of his sons, he knows the rules (according to the boys). His idea of fun is spending his free time reading the rule book. It's black and white with Phil; he follows the exact letter of the law. Although the Schepis sons razz their father and mimic his deliberate style of signaling and making calls, they respect him for treating every game special, regardless if it's a varsity or C-team game. "It's a big game to those kids, so I try to make it a big deal for them," Phil explains. While Phil's style is formal, Jamie, a Wichita police officer, has his own way. When Jamie is on the court, he is more laid back. If he sees a foul, he may call it. "Then again, he may not," according to Josh and Joel. You could say Joel, a cell phone store manager, and Josh are game managers. They "get into" their competitions more than the other two in the Schepis clan. They will try to expedite the game while still being fair. "We may overlook some calls if it makes no difference in the game," Joel says. "We say we officiate to time and distance," Josh added, "We'll look at the score on the board and the time remaining on the clock and consider those factors when making a call." They see positives in each official's style. "Together, we make a pretty good team," says Josh. Each year the goal for "Team Schepis" is to work at least one competition together. Josh and Phil usually work a basketball game together in January or February at Sunrise Christian Academy. This past fall, all four worked a football game in Goessel. And next summer, Josh is hoping they all will get the chance to umpire a game together during the National Baseball Congress World Series at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. The stories and experiences they share provide a special bond between Phil and his sons. "The hours we spend with dad - we look at them as good times," says Josh, "even though a lot of times the games aren't good. But we wouldn't trade the time together." By the way, Josh's 15-year-old son, Andy, a sophomore at Bishop Carroll, started umpiring at Westurban last summer. So, now, there are three generations of Schepis refs helping keep Kansas athletes "playing by the rules".