The moment that bright orange broomball smacked off the pole, everyone watching in Bird Arena was sure the official had screwed up again.
That was in! That was in! came shouts from the dedicated throng of nine fans, give or take a few. That ref needs to be smacked!
In hindsight, everyone realized the correct call had been made - though the ball crossed the plane of the goal, not more than half of it had actually passed into the net before it bounced out, resulting in no goal. The officials knew this. The fans, of course, did not.
It was 11:17 p.m., and the first broomball playoff game of the night, an overtime shootout affair, was in the books, but another four games were scheduled to follow. It was going to be another late night on the ice for Ohio's intramural athletics officials, Athens' quiet and underappreciated champions.
It's not about the money
Nobody ever made a fortune while officiating Ohio intramural athletics, not when first-year officials make little more than minimum wage. Money, however, is not an issue with the group. If they were doing it for the money, many said they would be in the wrong profession.
For some
it's just a part-time job said Scott Jones, assistant director of Ohio intramural and club sports. Some want to challenge themselves. It's certainly not an easy task going out there without very much experience and getting yelled at by college students who may or may not know the rules.
Jones, who has been officiating high school and college soccer and basketball for five years, has aspirations of officiating Division-I college basketball.
Until then, he will continue to officiate games throughout Ohio and beyond the state's borders.
Next Sunday I'm driving three-and-a-half hours to Lima (Ohio) to officiate a junior college basketball game
get paid 60
70 bucks and drive back
Jones said. I tell people what I do
and they tell me it's not worth it.
With his own work ethic, Jones provides a solid example to Ohio's traditionally strong student-official program of what intramural officials can become - if they want to devote themselves to their rather important role in athletics.
Right now
I'm sending some of our basketball officials to different regional tournaments
Jones said. We've got officials going to Wisconsin
Kentucky
North Carolina-Chapel Hill
