im
SPORTS
Partners In Stripes
A local officiating tandem works together
to form one of the area's top teams.
MIKE ROSENBAUM
Sports Writer
N
o one in sports takes as
much abuse as a game
official. The men and wo-
men in the striped shirts
or the umpire's uniform
constantly receive flak from players,
coaches, fans or irate parents.
For local officials like long-time
friends and partners Burt Hurshe and
Al Kaczander, about the best they can
hope for is to remain anonymous.
Hurshe says the greatest compli-
ment he received from a fan came last
year. "I did the Highland Park-
Robichaud (basketball) game. About
three days later I was in the gym at
a lesser-level game and a guy said,
`My kid plays for Highland Park! I
said, 'That was a great game last
week . . . I really enjoyed doing that
game? And he said, 'That's right, you
reffed the game! I said, 'Didn't you
remember?' He said, 'No, I didn't even
notice who the refs were! I said,
`Thank you sir, what a compliment: "
Hurshe and Kaczander, small col-
lege basketball teammates at Detroit
Tech, began officiating youth basket-
ball games at the Meyers/Curtis
Jewish Community Center. Kac-
zander started first, then asked Hur-
she to join him.
"I absolutely hated it:' recalls
Hurshe. "I felt that I was doing a good
job out there. But I couldn't take the
bickering back and forth!'
Kaczander is not as intense as
Hurshe, who calls himself "a Type A
personality?' But the abuse affects
Kaczander as well. "It gets to you
after a while," he says. "You're out
there trying to do the best job you can.
You make the call and, even now, no
matter who you make the call for, on-
ly half the people are going to like
your call!'
Kaczander says that an official
can enjoy his job more when the right
people are coaching. "There are some
coaches in this area we'd love to work
(with) every night. Because they will
let us go; they won't say a word. They
might question you: 'Did it go off my
player last?' or something like that.
But they won't bring any controversy
into the game.
"Other coaches, no matter if their
team's up by 15 or 20 points or losing
by 15 or 20 points, they're going to be
up and down, swearing at you?'
jam il ligFEBRUARY
mm 17, 1989
How do referees cope with difficult
players or coaches? "The key;' says
Hurshe, "is to really realize what's go-
ing on. The coaches are emotional,
they've worked hard all week. The
players are young. They're emotional,
they're thoroughbreds, they want to
win, whether it's a woman or a male
. . . and I'm the stability force out
there. I'm the control. I'm supposed to
be relaxed and not get personally in-
volved in the game . . . Al's much
more laid-back than me and that's
why we're a pretty good team. We're
a contrast in personalities."
Reasons that people put up with
some abuse and continue officiating
include the good exercise it offers, the
money — although nobody gets rich
by officiating — and, most important-
ly, because it keeps sports lovers on
the court or the field.
"We both played high school and
college ball," explains Kaczander,
"and this is one way where we were
able to keep in contact with, not only
the coaches in the area, but the
players!"
"I like staying close to the game,"
says Hurshe, "and I like the fact that,
although I'm not an athlete anymore,
I'm the closest thing to an athlete on
that floor!'
The rewards of officiating, says
Hurshe, are "personal. You have to
feel good about yourself?' Kaczander
adds, "You get a reward when you go
out there and you know you've done
a good game. And you have people Burt Hurshe and Al Kaczander get ready for high school action.
coming up to you after the game say- contact. And I was able to indicate the street. You (can't) get caught up
ing, 'Good game! "
that someone else had hit the ball out in a macho thing!'
Both Hurshe and Kaczander work
With longevity comes rewards, in- of bounds, rather than the player he
long
hours during the school year, of-
thought
it
might've
been!'
Hurshe
cluding recognition from the
ficiating
or coaching. Both men are
made
the
call
according
to
Kac-
MHSAA, which assigned the pair to
also
Detroit
Maccabi coaches. Hurshe
zander's
input.
district and regional games in recent
coaches
boys
basketball; Kaczander
"That's so important," says Hur-
state basketball tournements. Hurshe
has
coached
girls
softball. Both men
and Kaczander are affiliated with 15 she. "Our eye contact said, 'That's
complimented
their
families, saying
high school conferences, two college why they have two referees out there:
that
such
a
schedule
would be im-
We're
working
together.
I
trust
no
one
conferences and numerous small, in-
possible
without
family
support.
dependent colleges in Michigan and out on the court except him."
"You
cannot
be
a
top
official
They maintain a busy schedule
Indiana. They officiate about 100
unless
you
have
a
support
system;'
games per year. They both do football despite being, as Hurshe puts it, in
plus girls, boys and college basketball. his "very, very young infant 40's," says Hurshe. "My support system is
Hurshe umpires softball in the spring staying in shape and not smoking or my wife and three kids. I love all four
of them . . . they come first. Anybody
while Kaczander coaches softball at drinking.
that
says officiating comes first is not
One difficult balancing act an of-
Southfield-Lathrup High School.
being
fair because you wouldn't be
ficial
must
perform
is
to
use,
but
not
On the court or the field, Hurshe
and Kaczander are as much a team as abuse, his authority. "In officiating;' here if it wasn't for your family!'
"It is tough on the wives," agree's
the competitors are. Kaczander ex- says Hurshe, "the authority is a two-
Kaczander,
who notes that the pair
plains a recent call to demonstrate edged sword. It can give you control
may
work
from
7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on
and
give
you
respect,
but
it
can
work
how the pair works together. "A ball
went out of bounds and before Burt against you if you don't handle it game days. Kaczander says he comes
made a call he looked at me for eye right. Sort of like a police officer on home after a long day and asks,
.