LIBERTY CENTER, Ohio — No matter the sport or location, one of the most important elements of any athletic event is officials.
They are the men and women who help control games, enforce rules and provide a fair playing field to the best of their ability.
To become a great referee takes years of experience, but getting started doesn't take much at all. Especially at Liberty Center Local Schools, which is now offering a sports officiating class in high school.
How the class started
"The first thing I asked is, 'Can I teach basketball?'" teacher Jeff Ressler said. "Basketball is a sport I love and I love to officiate basketball, so I wanted to share what I know about the sport with these kids."
A 15-year veteran, Ressler has officiated basketball across northwest Ohio. Experience that includes working the OHSAA state tournament in 2021 and serving regional and district tournaments for the past eight seasons.
When Liberty Center's principal and guidance counselor brought the idea of this fun new elective to Ressler in August 2023, he didn't hesitate to say yes. Of course, a new class brought new excitement for incoming seniors who were enrolled.
"When I checked my schedule on the first day, I saw 'sports officiating' and I was like, 'Alright, this seems pretty cool,'" Will Fitzenreiter said.
This fall, 15 students converged to Mr. Ressler's classroom eager to find out what this course entailed. Very quickly they realized these lessons were one-of-a-kind.
"It's one class I look forward to every day, it's one of my favorite classes. It gives everybody a chance to step outside the box," Ressler said. "It's not math, science or English, it's an officiating class where you got to make decisions and that's going to apply to real life down the road."
In the classroom and on the court
Over the span of more than two months, this team of Tigers learned about what it takes to be an official. Whether going over film during class or working on mechanics during gameplay of seventh grade gym classes.
"Definitely takes a lot of patience to do it because there's a lot going on and you'll have people yelling at you," Fitzenreiter said. "There's going to be kids who don't know what they're doing and you got to have patience to make the right calls."
Classmates and fellow seniors Heath Atkinson and Jackson Bartels had experience being officials before in other youth sports, but nothing quite like this setting.
"It's got different videos, different challenges and then we go through all the rules," Bartels said. "After that, we go roughly two days a week live officiating and then film watch."
Although each student receives a letter grade just like any other class, the knowledge gained also helps lead to a potential job.
"We all started off with an online portal called RefPreps and they all did that with me to get certified as officials," Ressler said. "I had five of them take the state test, so I have five students who will be accredited State of Ohio officials. Once they finish a few more things, concussion training and a few other small things, they'll be able to work junior high games."
A reality that can come as soon as this winter. Despite starting at the lower levels, those who are certified can't wait to begin work.
"It definitely opens a lot of doors. I can come wrestle on a Friday and then go to a JV meet on a Saturday to go make some money," Bartels said. "That would be my gas for the week, which would be really nice."
Impact beyond the court
Even if officiating isn't an ultimate goal, these kids still enjoy playing along.
"They're going to have a better understanding of the game and hopefully they can pass that on to their parents and grandparents," Ressler said. "We are in such a need of officials and I think it's just a good building block for these kids."
In a sports town full of pride and ambition, this platform serves to elevate interest in athletics. Standing up to the need for officials in our area while allowing students to make their own calls.
"These kids aren't going to be athletes forever, but they can always give back to the sport," Ressler said.
Throughout the rest of the school year, Ressler will also be teaching baseball, track & field and wrestling. Next semester, he'll include volleyball officiating as well with girls having already shown interest in signing up.
"We take it seriously in there," Atkinson said. "We prepare to be the best refs in Ohio."
Liberty Center marks the latest northwest Ohio institution to adopt an officiating class, according to Jeff Mielcarek, president of the Northwest Ohio Basketball Officials Association. He said high schools like Anthony Wayne, Northview, Liberty-Benton and Whitmer have courses in place as well.
