MHSA(Q&)A: Official Lyle Berry
May 7, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Rockford’s Lyle Berry Berry received the MHSAA’s Vern L. Norris Award on Saturday for his contributions to officiating, mentoring and officials’ education.
An educator and official beginning in 1960, he also has officiated cross country and basketball, and has been a long-time member of both the West Michigan Officials Association and the Association of Track Officials of Michigan – having served both as president and rules chairman.
Berry also coached football for 36 years, with 32 at the high school level at Tawas, Farwell, Wayland and Wyoming Godwin Heights before spending four seasons as an assistant at Grand Rapids Community College. He was a head coach for 27 of those high school seasons, and was inducted into the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Michigan High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2008.
What keeps you coming back?
Just working with the kids, basically. There was a time, a turning point, when I did not know if it was as ego thing or an obsession. At some point, it was just a thing I wanted to do. It became so much fun, I didn't want to quit.
What was that turning point?
Ten or 12 years in officiating, I was in the process of building a career and wanting to take the next step each time. I got to the point where I was doing varsity basketball, and I got established there and wanted to move to the college ranks. And I did that. But 12 or 13 year in, there was a Grand Rapids City League game that went to double overtime. The two teams were undefeated at the halfway point (of the season), and it was a tight ballgame. After the game, we used to stand in front of the scoring table waiting for the books to get finalized. I looked over and saw the coach from the losing team talking to his kids, and the next thing we know, a few of them are coming over toward me. I’m thinking “Oh boy; here we go.” But the kids came up and said their coach wanted to make sure (they) congratulated (us) on a job well done. And the next thing out of their mouths was, “Wow, was that a great game?” And that’s where they left it. They said thanks and left. I thought I would’ve worked that night for nothing. And it just went from there.
What do you enjoy most about officiating?
It’s being with the kids more than anything. I do college track, high school track and junior high track, and some of the most fun situations are with the junior high kids. … Those kids either don’t know what’s going on, or keep you hopping, keep you on your toes. Being around them, it helps keep me a little young.”
You’ve been a teacher, coach and official. Are there similarities among the three?
All three blend together really well. You get to look at coaching as having the ability to teach kids how to have fun, and officiating you look at as watching kids have fun. Those two things go hand in hand. And teaching, of course; I was in the physical education field and I’d see all these kids and athletes who I’d eventually be coaching. Being around them all the time was just a bonus.
Is recruiting officials tougher now than it was in the past?
It’s a little bit tougher now. At the banquet the other night, there were only seven or eight 50-year people. Ten or 15 years ago, we didn’t even have a 50-yard award. And when that came in I thought it would be great because there would be a lot in that class. Last year I got my 50, and there were only 12 or 13 of us. The 40-45 (year) class had only 20 or 25. It just seems like the numbers are dwindling. You don’t see the commitment to carry on.
You see the same thing in coaching. I coached football 36 years, and you don’t see that. You see coaches get out after 10 or 12 years, burned out. I don’t know what the situation is causing that, but it’s definitely getting hard.
What advice do you give to young officials?
At this point in time, I’m working in the O-K Conference as a basketball observer of officials. Over the last six or seven years, I’d gotten 10-15 young guys. I like to go watch the JV, the freshmen guys, talk to them at halftime or after the game, like having a mini clinic with them. I encourage them to go. Last year I saw a dozen of those guys move on to the varsity ranks. Basically, I just tell them just to stay with it. And when the opportunity comes, you’ve got to jump in with both feet.
PHOTO: (Below) Lyle Berry speaks to the audience during Saturday's Officials’ Awards & Alumni Banquet at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing.
Grand Blanc Senior Joins Officials 'Legacy'
February 15, 2017
By Lisa Paine
Swartz Creek View
HARTLAND – Michigan, not unlike most other states across the nation, is struggling with a shortage of officials for junior high and high school sports. Steve Tannar, the Kensington Lakes Activities Association assigner, says locally that Michigan High School Athletic Association registered officials are down by one third.
Looking to stem the tide, the MHSAA is reaching out to high school juniors and seniors through its Legacy Officials Program.
Jason Caine, a Grand Blanc senior, is working with his veteran partner, Shawn Waterman. Caine said he came across the program through an online application and “just wanted to give it a try.”
“I attended a clinic at Goodrich High, just the basics, and it just took off after that,” said Caine. “After the clinic I attended Rules School and the Genesee County Officials Association (GCOA). Through that, I got partnered with Shawn Waterman (a veteran MHSAA official). They mentor us and show us the basics.”
Caine is also being mentored by eight-year MHSAA official and former coach Brian Morley of Grand Blanc. Caine, who played freshman and junior varsity baseball at Grand Blanc, said he’s not a typical multi-sport athlete.
“I’m a DECA Officer at Grand Blanc,” explained Caine. “It’s a business club that presents their businesses to potential investors. Officiating is a side hobby that I want to pursue. Next year I plan on attending college and with officiating, I can take that with me wherever I go.”
Tannar said the ultimate goal of the Legacy program is to get the word out to recruit more teens like Caine.
“The main reason we are looking to grow our officials program is because we have such an officiating shortage all over the country,” said Tannar. “Not many of us are under the age of 40. The average age of our officials is mid to upper 50s. If we don’t recruit and get them working now, we’re going to be faced with a shortage of officials.”
“It really began when they switched girls basketball (to winter) and everyone tries to play triple headers on Tuesday and Friday,” explained Tannar. “I need 42 officials in one night to fill the six schools I assign for the KLAA.”
Tannar noted that in 2012 the GCOA qualified 125 officials to work in MHSAA tournaments. This year that number dropped to 84.
“Mentoring the rookie officials such as Caine is a big responsibility," said Morley, who is one of three officiating trainers in the area. He’s been officiating in the Saginaw Valley League, Flint Metro League, Genesee Area Conference and KLAA.
“This year we were in an ad for the MHSAA, and Jason was one that responded. He was looking for something other than working at McDonald’s. I told him the MHSAA has a program in place to train officials,” said Morley, who found his own path to the MHSAA officials program as an adult.
Morley also spoke to the number of officials needed.
“We figured for the Saginaw Valley plus the Thumb area and into where Steve is (KLAA), somewhere between 300 and 400 officials are needed on a given Tuesday or Friday,” Morley said.
Officiating isn’t easy, as it’s about more than just calling the games, noted Tannar.
“The number one reason for quitting officiating is the fans and their reactions, not the coaches or players,” Tannar said.
Mark Uyl, assistant director for the MHSAA and its coordinator for officials, echoed that. He’s seen the profession take its hits over the past five years.
“The biggest challenge in officiating is it’s a thankless job,” Uyl said. “We are expected to be perfect on our first day. But you can’t play without officials, so our culture needs to rethink how we are acting as fans in the athletic arena. We are in an angrier society right now and until that trend reverses itself, we face that challenge.”
“So much of officiating is handling people, managing emotions. If we can keep getting people of all ages interested in our officiating program, we can continue to put quality officials at all levels of games – youth sports, junior high through high school and into the college games,” Uyl said.
The fans were one of Caine’s first concerns.
“It was a little nervy at first, but when I got up there, Shawn was a great partner and assured me everything was OK no matter what the outcome,” said Caine. “My background at the clinics and Rules School gave me the confidence.”
Morley explained the importance of teaming up rookies with veterans.
“That’s why this training is so important. If Jason and these others didn’t have us to learn from, lean on, fans can be brutal. Part of our training is how to combat or ignore the angry fans and block that out and do what we need to do in these games. Our job is protect our rookies in their first couple of years to help everyone handle the heat of the moment. We can’t lose someone because of the ugliness that often goes on around us,” said Morley.
The money isn’t bad either. Morley and Uyl said refs can pick up anywhere from $35 to $65 on any given night.
"Many don’t realize how good the money is in officiating,” said Uyl. “After school jobs are $9-10 dollars an hour. (Officiating), they can make $35 in one game.
Tannar said the plan is to turn up recruiting another couple of notches into the next year.
“Next year we want to get into the schools and do a presentation to an all-level program at every school. If I can get one or two kids, that gets us 40 new officials.”
Uyl is grandfathering in Legacy Official students for free, saving them money on the typical registration fees.
More clinics are planned for the Legacy Officials program in the spring and fall of 2017.
This story originally appeared in the Dec. 29, 2016, edition of the Swartz Creek View and is reprinted with permission.
PHOTOS: (Top) Veteran official Shawn Waterman (left) stands with Grand Blanc senior Jason Caine during Caine's first game as an MHSAA referee Nov. 30. (Middle) Caine monitors the action during the junior high game in Hartland. (Photos courtesy of Steve Tannar.)