Sports officiating class offers students new perspective, potential gigs

Grace Lustig sees things differently on the volleyball court these days.

The New Lenox resident is in her junior year at Providence Catholic and taking a new elective course that’s given her a new perspective, and could even lead to some paid gigs down the line.

The Sports Officiating class is offering juniors and seniors an exciting new opportunity of becoming certified Illinois High School Association officials.

Lustig, who plays basketball and volleyball, was working on officiating volleyball with her classmates during a class earlier this month in the school’s Immaculate Heart of Mary gymnasium.

“I do see things differently when I look back on the film.” Lustig said. “When I’m on the court I’m so into it, so focused, and usually when something doesn’t go our way, like a call, the first thing I want is to be mad at the ref. Why was that call made? But when you look back at the film, when you see it from the outside perspective, it’s way different than when you’re in the game.”

Kevin Kozan, who is instructing the class, called it a gateway to understand athletic competition from a different perspective. As a standout basketball player for the Providence Celtics, he helped the program win regional titles in 2012 and 2013. He’s personally seen basketball from the perspective of a player, coach and official. Now he’s teaching it.

“It kind of opens your eyes more to actually what officials have to do,” Kozan said. “As a head coach and assistant coach I’d only seen them for the game and coaches’ meeting but not what they are talking about at halftime. We’re learning a lot of interesting stuff.”

The students also are learning they can actually make money by helping kids play games. Few gigs get you closer to the field without actually playing on it than sports officiating.

“I like the whole extra job, the whole summer job, the whole connection job thing,” Kozan said. “You can have a regular job and go ref a third grade game for an hour and make an extra 60 bucks.”

Lockport resident Marilyn Burke, a junior at Providence, talked to Lustig about the class and both signed on.

“It’s another class to take that we thought would be fun to do and we’re also learning something that’s resourceful outside of the classroom,” Burke said. “I think it’s nice we can use it and have a job, but also because we can figure out what refs are looking for during games so I think that helps improve our games.”

Lustig said she’ll be recommending the class to others.

“Coach Kozan is a really good teacher and you’ll have a lot of fun,” she said. “I’ve liked it. We do a lot of interactive stuff too. I’m taking it to have fun. Even if we never ref outside of the classroom, doing fun stuff like this gets us moving around and gets us involved in school stuff. And having a ref license is kind of cool, too, to say you have one. And even reffing outside of the classrooms you can do it for your service hours or get paid to do it. It could be a fun way to make money.”

Junior Alex Schaller has prior experience working the scoreboard and game clock during basketball and volleyball games, so the Lockport resident came into the class with some understanding of officiating although no experience working games.

“My friend’s dad is a teacher at a school and he got us positions doing the clock and it was easy volunteer hours so I learned a lot of the hand signs for those sports,” he said. “It was relatively easy to pick up some things from just watching the ref.”

Now he’s looking forward to turning officiating into a part-time job.

“It’s easy income and me and a friend were thinking of doing it,” he said. “I was really intrigued by the new class. I’m probably going to wait until class is over before deciding which (sports) I’m going to try officiating. I’m thinking of volleyball and basketball, maybe soccer.”

Senior Brendan Grohn has played sports his entire life. This fall he’s starting at offensive guard and tight end for the Celtics football team. He was right when he thought the class would be of interest to someone as sports-minded as his life has been.

“A big part of taking the class was I thought if I saw a different view it might make me even better as an athlete,” he said. “This (learning volleyball) has been the most fun and engaging one. Basketball was more classroom work and focusing on calling the game because there are so many calls and rules. Here it’s pretty easy and a more hands-on experience. I like it way more. I’m happy doing volleyball.”

While he’s busy with football in the fall, the Joliet resident is considering umpiring baseball as early as next spring or summer.

“I played baseball for 15 years so I’m thinking of doing baseball or volleyball for a side job during the summer,” he said. “‘I played baseball through sophomore year here. I’ve played basketball and wrestled and even boxed as a kid. Sports have always been a big part of my life.”

Sports are a huge part of the lives of many kids like Grohn, but there aren’t enough officials to cover all the games. This class could help with the referee and umpire shortage by bringing new, younger officials onto the scene. But keeping them is a problem as well. According to the National Federation of High School Sports, only 2 of every 10 officials return for their third year of officiating.

While kids aren’t attending to become professional officials, there’s always the chance that some student will choose that path. For others, it’s a class that can be utilized in a lot of ways.

“The class has been a highlight for a lot of these kids who are enjoying seeing it from a different angle,” Providence athletic director Doug Ternik said. “There’s a shortage of officials so they get to see it from their perspective, learn about officiating and have some fun.”

Providence principal Paul Houston said the new class is a testament to the school’s commitment to providing diverse and enriching opportunities for its students.

“This course not only enhances their understanding of sports but also fosters essential life skills,” he said. “We are proud to offer a program that supports both personal and professional growth, and we look forward to the impact it will have on our students.”

C. R. Walker is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.