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Old Tue Mar 22, 2005, 11:51pm
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I fellow employee at intramurals also writes for the school paper and got assigned to do an article of the intramural officials. Here it is:


Behind the calls of intramural sports
Posted: 03.22.2005
Ashley Smith
Basketball fans across the country are packing into arenas this week as March Madness goes into full swing. While the best college teams in the nation are competing for the right to say they are number one, the best basketball teams here at N.C. State have already been decided.

Over 300 spectators showed up for the Intramural Basketball championships last Tuesday. For the teams lucky enough to be playing in the finals the grueling competition of the past seven weeks has come down to this.

Behind the scorers table intramural sports coordinator Jason Spivey, five-year basketball referee and graduate student in meteorology Rick Palmieri, and intramural sports student supervisor and graduate student in business, Lee Aiken watch the players and officials as they run up and down the court. A whistle echoes and play comes to a halt. "Nice call," Palmieri said.

Before over 150 teams even signed up to play intramural basketball, the officials were already in training.

"The training process consists of two nights of three-hour clinics followed by one or two nights of scrimmages to allow the officials to practice in live game situations," Spivey said.

So what do these officials have in common with the referees of the NCAA tournament? It isn't the salary. IM officials only make $6.50 an hour.

It isn't the high profile. People bend over backwards to make officials happy at the college, professional and even junior Olympic level. What these two different groups of people share is the way they are treated.

Spectators and players alike either love them or hate them depending on how the game is going, and are not shy about expressing their negative opinions. Walk along the courts on any given night of play and complaints are only an ear shot away.

Mike Gray has officiated intramural sports for 25 years.

"Intramural officiating is a learning experience just like anything else here at State. We take interested men and women and teach them to become basketball officials. Some of them have turned out to be top flight officials and have gone on to ref at high school and eventually college levels," Gray said.

What people sometimes seem to forget is that most of the officials are brand new to their side of the game.

David Woods, a senior in psychology said, "They aren't pros. We can't expect perfection."

"We expect them to give their best effort, but as humans we all make mistakes," said Spivey.

So what possesses the officials to return next season after regularly being haggled by players and spectators?

Steven Melcher, a senior in computer science and four-year official said, "It's a labor of love. We don't get paid a lot and we get called a lot of things. You have to really love the game to do this."

The intramural sports program gives students and faculty the opportunity to take part in organized recreational games. The officials haven't forgotten that, despite cut-throat competition in some leagues, the idea is for everyone to have fun. Some of them even have teams of their own that they play on.

"When I officiate nothing else matters and I don't take any of my day to the court. I think the players use it as an escape from reality as well," Palmieri said. Katie Lyn Parker, a three-year official and junior in biological sciences said, "For those people who complain about officials, the job isn't as easy as it looks and I'd like to personally invite people who sideline officiate to come to recruitment and officiate for the intramural sports department. We would love to have them."

For a student run department, the intramural sports program is one of the most popular on campus and its success rests solely on the shoulders of the officials.

"Without them we wouldn't have games," Spivey said.

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Old Wed Mar 23, 2005, 10:00am
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Quote:
Originally posted by CaptStevenM

Mike Gray has officiated intramural sports for 25 years.
You'd think he would've finished his degree by now.
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Old Wed Mar 23, 2005, 11:36am
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Quote:
Originally posted by JCurrie
Quote:
Originally posted by CaptStevenM

Mike Gray has officiated intramural sports for 25 years.
You'd think he would've finished his degree by now.
He's a professor and a former department head.
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Old Wed Mar 23, 2005, 04:49pm
Ref Ump Welsch
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A professor reffing IM ball? He must not be getting enough abuse in the classroom!
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Old Wed Mar 23, 2005, 06:54pm
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CaptSteve,

Are y'all still sending officials to the Intramural Regional Tournament at Chapel Hill? I went down there from Delaware for two years and had a great time. Even got to go Orlando my last year. Just wondering.

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