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School district needs basketball referees

Only eight officials are available to referee in Salmon Arm, Sicamous, Enderby and Carlin.

If the idea of being paid to get some exercise while enjoying a little high school basketball appeals to you, Barry Dearing is the one to talk to.

Dearing, who oversees basketball refereeing in the school district, says there are currently only eight officials available to serve Salmon Arm, Sicamous, Enderby and Carlin.

“If you have one game at each site, that takes eight officials right there,” says Dearing. “And in Salmon Arm, we could have games at the Sullivan campus, Jackson campus and Shuswap Middle School. So that would take six officials, minimum, to cover those games.”

Dearing notes this is a paid position, and that officials tend to cover a lot of ground per game.

“You run between three and five miles a game,” says Dearing. “So if you want to get paid to get into shape, basketball refereeing is not a bad option.”

The only other commitment involved is an hour-and-a-half meeting on Monday nights, from 7 to 8:30, at Hillcrest Elementary School in Salmon Arm.

“We go over the rules and what we call ‘mechanics,’” says Dearing. “Mechanics is where you need to be on the floor at any given time.”

Dearing says he’d like to see some of the kids back from college or university who used to play high school basketball put the stripes on. But he recognizes it’s not for everyone.

“Refereeing is not the most glamorous job in the world I would say, although we don’t get things thrown at us…,” Dearing explains with a laugh.

Anyone who is interested in the job, or wanting more information, may call Dearing at 250-515-1562.



Lachlan Labere

About the Author: Lachlan Labere

Editor of the Salmon Arm Observer, Shuswap Market, and Eagle Valley News. I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to keep our readers informed and engaged.
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