`Sports are a great outlet for many human needs and emotions'
S i m p l y p u t , s p o r t s a bsol ut e l y t e a c h many valuable lessons of everyd a y l i f e . I f s p o r t s exposure starts early i n a p e r - s o n' s l i f e , so does the learning process. It certainly did for me.
I was a very average, at best, little league athlete growing up, participating in football, basketball and baseball. Smaller t own Stillwater, then, provided many athletic outlets for youth thru l ots of team and individual sports.
Fast forward past my high school graduation, a n d my e a r l y u n d e r - graduate college years at Oklahoma State. I found myself truly missing the absolute thrill of the fall Friday night l i ghts and its football gridiron. My solution to my dilemma as a junior-year student at OSU, was to become i nvolved i n officiating. Folks, I didn't just “lightly test the officiating water,” I jumped into the deep end of the pool. For the first seven years of this avocation, I officiated football, basketball and baseball.
After seven seasons, I decided no more basebal l but went on t o do 30 years of high school basketball. However, the l ongest t enure of al l i s magical football, where last season, I completed my 53rd year on the high school fields. I have officiated high school football l o nge r t h a n a nyone i n state history. There was a t i me f r o m t h e e a r l y 1 980s t hrough t he l ate 1990s, I officiated both a Friday night high school game, and then officiated a Saturday small college football game, for 15 consecutive years. Why?
For the love of sports, of course. Every t i me I have officiated an athletic event for over a half century, I have felt like I was still playing the sport. The profound rush I get when walking out of the dressing room on another episode of Friday night l i ghts, i s i ndescribable. The t wo opposing high s c h o o l b a n d s b e g i n t o play their fight songs, the players are going through their pregame warmups, the crowd is increasing, the hot popcorn and sandwiches smell delicious, and I continue to be, once again, 18 years old, and a necessary part of this wonderful sport.
Sports are a great outlet f or many human needs and emotions. I am so glad I found that magic genie a long, long time ago.