The Official View: Don't Make it Personal
By
Brent Rice
MHSAA Assistant Director
January 15, 2019
By Brent Rice
MHSAA Assistant Director
Statistics tell us poor sportsmanship is a leading factor in officials leaving officiating and a major impediment to recruiting new officials. The official catching flak is not new.
This week’s “It’s Official” discusses work being done to bring civility to high-intensity situations where criticism of officials has frequently turned personal.
It’s Official!
Poor Sportsmanship and the Official
As long as there have been officials, there has been dissatisfaction with officials by players and coaches. It’s not that instances of poor sportsmanship are becoming more frequent – it’s that these instances are becoming more personal. And in part because of the accessibility of social media, they are more sensationalized.
The great Major League Baseball veteran umpire Harry Wendelstedt regularly used to say, “You may yell at the uniform, but you can’t yell at me.” His point recognizes not everyone will agree with the calls officials make, but that criticism and disapproval should be directed about the call and not about the person.
Some sports have ejectable offenses specific to that sport. Others – think soccer, volleyball, basketball or football – have a progressive system of fouls that lead to an automatic ejection. This doesn’t mean, though, that coaches and players receive a one-time free pass to say whatever they want. Personal attacks are not permitted and are grounds for immediate disqualification. Personal attacks include:
• Offensive or derogatory remarks about an official’s (real or perceived) gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, religion or disability.
• Threats or intimidation of physical violence, withdrawing games or a downgrade of ratings.
• Personal insults that disparage an individual or openly question an official’s integrity, impartiality, honesty or character.
For example, instead of using the personal insult “You’re terrible!” that would result in an immediate ejection, players and coaches could substitute the impersonal “That’s terrible!” The use of “you” or “you’re” personalizes the attack, and anything that follows those words in a disparaging manner almost always will result in a disqualification.
While the onus of ensuring good sportsmanship is primarily the responsibility of administrators, coaches and players, the officials also play a significant role by enforcing behavior and conduct rules through penalization. Officials are being instructed to strictly enforce this policy moving forward. To emphasize the importance of avoiding personal attacks on officials, the MHSAA will be starting the new campaign “Get Personal … Get Ejected!” We are looking for help from coaches, players and spectators in showing respect and appreciation for the hardworking men and women who officiate MHSAA contests by keeping criticisms brief and absent of personal attacks.
Sports Officials Appreciation
The MHSAA is seeking ways we can show appreciation for the contribution Registered officials provide to the MHSAA and its member schools. This will soon include the introduction of an “Official Thanks” campaign and providing schools a framework to institute “Officials Appreciation” events.
To further express our gratitude, the MHSAA has partnered with the Detroit Red Wings to host a Sports Officials Night on Sunday, March 31 beginning at 7:30pm. The package includes a specially-priced Red Wings ticket, souvenir cooling towel and access to a pre-game speaking engagement with former professional officials. Additional benefits also are being worked on. Details are posted on the Officials page of the MHSAA website and will be delivered to all officials via email.
Rule of the Week
GIRLS COMPETITIVE CHEER As Team A attempts a swinging stunt during Round 3, the flyer is propelled into an almost-vertical position with her feet in the air and head near the floor.
Ruling: This is an illegal stunt and an 8-point deduction per infraction.
It’s Your Call
BASKETBALL This week’s clip shows Team A in white attempting to move the ball up court against Team B’s press. A pass is made to #11 near the division line. What’s the call?
Last IYC Ruling: In the last “It’s Your Call” clip, the attacking wrestler picks up his opponent and slams him to the mat. This is a dangerous act, and a flagrant misconduct should have been assessed. (Click to see video.)
Official View: Giving Back
Every year, the Macomb County Coaches Association and area officials come together to host a Christmas Tournament where funds are raised for educational scholarship opportunities. This year’s event was another huge success.
For officials, it’s a great time to give back and enjoy the sport they love. Tradition has been that custom uniform shirts are purchased for the officials, who also wear their best (or worst) pair of Christmas socks.
Pictured above are: (Back row) Phil Lieblang, Lenny Gino, Chad Davinich, Dave Hall, Bryan Legree, Josh Orzechowski, Mike Billiu, Matt Stabley, Brandon Orzechowski. (Front row) Eugene English, Gary Kowalewski, Jerry Angelo, Ron Minoletti, Rob Peltier, Eric Siefert, Jim Niemiec.
Little Provides Major Stride as 1st Woman to Officiate Boys Hoops Final since 1995
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
April 13, 2023
Delonda Little was already a trailblazer to many before this year’s MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals.
But what happened last month at Breslin Center made her even more of one on a statewide level.
A referee and assigner for 20 years in the Detroit area, Little is a female boys and girls basketball official who mentors both male and female referees – no matter the gender or level, as she officiates high school and college games.
Officials often go to Little for guidance, direction and assignments, which has made her respected for years throughout Metro Detroit in the prep basketball community. Then, her status as a trailblazer grew even more.
Little was assigned as an official for the Division 3 Boys Basketball Final between Flint Beecher and Traverse City St. Francis, and she became the first female referee to officiate an MHSAA Boys Basketball Final since Traverse City’s Barb Beckett 1995.
“It was a very good feeling to know I was the one selected,” said Little, who officiated the Final with Matt Olson and Zach Porritt.
In fact, while attending a Semifinal game the Friday before the Final, Little received a phone call from an area code she didn’t recognize.
She answered, and it was Beckett.
“At first I didn’t know the name,” Little said. “I said, ‘No, I don’t know you, but that’s fine.’”
Beckett then explained she was the first female referee to be assigned a Boys Basketball Final, and just wanted to offer support to Little.
At that point, Little became excited and thankful she answered the call.
“It was very nice to hear from her because she wanted to reach out and if not pass the torch, to congratulate me,” Little said.
Little, 51, said she found out she was going to be refereeing the Division 3 boys championship game just before the start of the postseason when she received an email from the MHSAA.
“I’m looking at the email and I’m like, boys?” Little said. “I was shocked.”
But she was shocked in a good way, and obviously excited for the honor.
Little didn’t find out until a couple of days before the St. Francis/Beecher contest that she would be officiating that specific championship game, but the Monday of boys championship week was when she really started to receive congratulations from friends and colleagues.
That’s when an article came out in the Detroit News detailing her selection, which led to countless calls, texts and congratulatory messages on social media.
“I couldn’t even (keep up with the comments),” she said. “That’s how overwhelming the actual tags were. It came from all across the state with officials, men and women, because I do women’s college (games). Some of the college ladies were reaching out. I was getting all the hoopla before the game.”
Little said she normally doesn’t get nervous for games, but not having some nerves became a bit harder once so many people knew of her achievement.
However, she settled into a normal routine quickly once the game started.
“I wanted to get it done, get it over with and do well,” she said.
Little did do well, which is no surprise to everyone who knew her before she officiated on the boys championship stage.
It was just another feather in the cap for Little, who in 2016 became the first woman to officiate a boys Detroit Public School League championship game.
“Delonda is one of the top officials in the Detroit area, and our staff doesn’t look at Delonda as a female working a boys game – we see one of the top officials in Detroit working a basketball game,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “There are females officiating in the NBA and female officials in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. The aspect that made Delonda’s selection for this MHSAA championship game nearly unique will soon be the norm at all levels of athletics.”
Little graduated from Detroit Osborn in 1989 and starred on the basketball court at Wayne State, earning induction into WSU’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.
Her day job is as an officer for the Michigan Department of Corrections, but her passion is officiating. She’s been an MHSAA-registered official for basketball for two decades and also was registered for volleyball for four years. This past fall she registered for football for the first time.
“I get something from it because it keeps me in shape, I love the people I work with and I like the kids,” Little said. “You are always teaching, and I like training the newer officials. I just enjoy it. I don’t know what I’d be doing if I wasn’t refereeing.”
Going forward, Little hopes her championship game assignment will now be an inspiration for other female referees.
“There aren’t very many women who would like to work boys basketball or feel comfortable,” Little said. “If that’s something they desire, I’m hoping more women are selected to work the games if they feel comfortable.”
Keith Dunlap has served in Detroit-area sports media for more than two decades, including as a sportswriter at the Oakland Press from 2001-16 primarily covering high school sports but also college and professional teams. His bylines also have appeared in USA Today, the Washington Post, the Detroit Free Press, the Houston Chronicle and the Boston Globe. He served as the administrator for the Oakland Activities Association’s website from 2017-2020. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties
PHOTOS (Top) Delonda Little takes her position on the court during the Division 3 Boys Basketball Final on March 25 at Breslin Center. (Middle) Little monitors the action between Flint Beecher and Traverse City St. Francis.