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Friday, February 1, 2008
One On One
Greater Reading, PA
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Photo(s) By: Phil Marabella
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Kevin Leight / Sam Harris
It takes a special person to be a high school referee. We met up with one such individual – Tim Dougerty. Some might say Tim refs both day and night. For over nine years, his “day job” has been as District Judge in West Reading /Wyomissing. At night, you can now find him running up and down one of the many basketball courts in Berks County.
In 1981 Tim saw an article in the paper advertising classes at Reading Area Community College for individuals who wanted to become a ref. “I played recreation basketball and enjoy the game. I thought it (ref-ing) would be something I might like to do,” said Dougerty. The course was 8 weeks with a test at the conclusion of the class. If the student passes the test, he is then assigned to a local chapter within the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. Following placement, PIAA then assigns the games to be officiated during the season. Before each season begins, all of the officials from their respective chapter have a meeting to discuss rules and review situations/scenarios. “It’s mainly regurgitation of information we learned previously. They do it in order to keep everything fresh in our minds,” explained Tim.
During the winter season, from November to February, Tim officiates 75 boys and girls basketball games. That’s a lot of games, which means Tim has probably heard it all shouted from the bleachers. “I understand my role and hear things all the time from fans, parents, etc. Every call is 50/50, good and bad feedback. I understand the rules and know how to enforce them,” stated Dougerty. Fans generally watch a game with a bias; an official is neutral, focusing on the details.
A majority of the time, Tim is so involved in the game he doesn’t even know the score. “My job is to officiate the game not to check the score.” Even though, adds Tim, “Basketball officials are fans, just as much as parents and spectators, minus the emotional tie to the game.”
Tim has been officiating for over 15 years, allowing him to stay involved in a game he enjoys. And when basketball season is over, Tim doesn’t get much of a break before he heads outside to officiate softball.
To learn more about becoming an official, check out the PIAA website: www.PIAA.org\\officials
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