Valley officials establish Getz scholarship
Mark Getz reflected as he and fellow Lehigh Valley official John Fidelibus awaited the start of a session at last weekend’s PIAA Wrestling Championships at Hershey’s Giant Center.
Getz said it was a cool experience to work with Fidelibus because the two were former state champion wrestlers who coached at various levels and now reached the pinnacle of Pennsylvania high school officiating.
As he looked around the spacious Giant Center, Getz acknowledged missing the large crowds that always included passionate fans from District 11 hotbeds Nazareth, Northampton, Easton and others.
Getz also wished he could have shared the moment last weekend with his father, Bob, a longtime official who passed away on December 31, 2020. The 66-year-old, a co-founder of the Valley Elementary Wrestling League, attended the PIAA tournament for decades with his wife of 46 years, Deb.
“It was neat to work it with [Fidelibus] because we have seen it from all perspectives,” Getz said. “But it was bittersweet not having my dad there. He and my mom
came every year to watch every round.”
Getz and fellow Lehigh Valley officials found a way to keep Bob Getz’s passion and spirit alive by restarting a scholarship fund for area seniors in his name.
The Bob Getz Memorial Scholarship will award between $500 and 1,000 each year, starting this spring.
Senior wrestlers must complete a five-step process: an application, an essay on “wrestling, more than a sport,” a letter of recommendation from a coach and from someone outside the community (teacher, clergy, employer, etc.) and a Google form provided to his or her head
coach/athletic director.
Each school is asked to nominate one male and one female. The application deadline is April 30.
The Lehigh Valley officials chapter is looking for an outdoor venue to host the ceremony to recognize the winners.
Getz, a 1994 state champion at Nazareth, said his father loved working with the VEWL, serving as the officials assignor until his passing.
“When you officiate youth wrestlers,” Getz said, “you can help the kids line up. You can be a mentor. He really enjoyed that.”
Getz has officiated the last five years. He has his father to thank for that.
“I was helping out at East Stroudsburg University for three or four years,” Getz recalled. “But I missed being around the high school coaches. My dad said, ‘Why don’t you take the [officiating] test and see how it goes?’ “I’ve loved it ever since.”
Getz is officiating the New York State high school wrestling tournament later this month at Spooky Nook in Manheim. He and his dad worked a youth event there in December.
Wrestling has been a part of the entire Getz family for as long as Mark can remember.
“Even when I was coaching,” he said, “I remember talking to both my parents. My mom could probably coach. She was spot on. With my dad officiating for a long time, she had an amazing knowledge of the sport.”