PHOTOS BY GLE

Burt Hurshe at work during a
Class A regional semifinal
girls basketball game last
month at Birmingham
Seahoim High School.

here's no doubt about it now. Burt
Hurshe says he made the right
call in the early 1980s when he
decided to cut back on playing and
coaching sports to concentrate on
officiating.
For the past decade, Hurshe
has been working football, bas-
ketball and softball games at the
recreation, junior high, high
school and small college levels for
11 months a year. He annually
travels 20,000 to 25,000 miles get-
ting to and from his assignments.
This year, Hurshe achieved a
milestone in his profession. Not
once, but twice. In June, Hurshe
was the umpire behind the plate
in the Class C state championship
high school softball game played
in Battle Creek.
Earlier this month, again in
Battle Creek, Hurshe was one of
two referees in the Class A state
championship girls basketball
game. "It's an honor to be chosen
to work a state championship
game by your peers. That's the
best way I can explain it," Hur-
she said. "It's like a doctor or a
lawyer being asked to speak at
a national medical or legal con-
vention."
Hurshe, who works full time as
a physical education teacher at
Kennedy Elementary in the
Southfield school district, takes
his officiating seriously.
A 6-foot-4, 195-pounder who
lists his age as "in the mid-40s,"
Hurshe exercises religiously at the
five workout stations in the base-
ment of his home in Waterford.
He also works out at the health
club at the Jewish Community
Center in West Bloomfield.
"I feel it's important to have a
professional appearance when
you're officiating, especially be-
cause you want to set an example
for young athletes," Hurshe said.
"Besides being in shape, it means
I work in a clean uniform, I'm
well-groomed and I'm clean-
shaven.
"My forte, I think, is public relations. I treat
everyone with respect. As an official, you can real-
ly hurt yourself if you are aloof or a smart guy.
You're not going to be respeeted by the coaches and
players if that is your attitude. There's a lot of give-
and-take in officiating, and you have to be ready
for that."
Hurshe prides himself on being ready for every
game. He always carries two uniforms with him
and there are about 20 whistles in his duffel bag.
But nobody is perfect.

luckily, it looked like I didn't skip a
beat."
Hurshe has been working games
in the Detroit Public School League
(PSL) for about eight years. This fall,
he officiated the PSL girls basketball
championship game at Wayne State
University. He's also done the PSL
boys basketball semifinals at Cobo
Arena.
"I've never had a problem at a PSL
game," Hurshe said. "The security is
always good. The only incident I re-
member happened before a basket-
ball game at Detroit Northern.

"My forte is public
relations.
I treat everyone
with respect."

Burt Hurshe

"This guy who I didn't know came
out of the stands and started walking
toward me. As it turns out, all he
wanted to do was thank me for refer-
eeing his son's game."
Hurshe's coaching resume includes
stints with boys and girls basketball
teams at Birmingham Groves and
Southfield high schools and with the
Detroit Maccabi boys basketball
squad.
A graduate of Detroit Mumford
High School, Hurshe earned a bach-
elor's degree in education from
Wayne State University and a mas-
ter's in education from Eastern Michi-
gan University. He was a cross
country runner in high school, and he
played one year of basketball at
Wayne State.
He and his wife, Donna, have three
sons: Jason, 26, Brian, 24, and Joe,
22. Have any gotten involved in offi-
ciating? Joe has, and he worked his
first high school varsity football game
this fall.
The Michigan High School Athlet-
ic Association, which governs prep
sports in the state, is constantly advertising for of-
ficials. Hurshe recommends the occupation for
anyone who is interested in it.
"Officiating gives you a chance to contribute
something to your community, stay in shape, and
make a few bucks," he said.
"I had the opportunity to have the best seat in
the house to watch guys like Chris Webber and
Jalen Rose play basketball in high school. Now,
you have to pay $50 a seat to see them play in the
NBA." CI

Double Play

It's been a great year for veteran umpire-referee
Burt Hurshe. In six months, he officiated at two
high school state championship games.

STEVE STEIN STAFF WRITER

"I was working a regional final boys basketball
game with Fred Cohen about five years ago when
I made a call late in the first half and my whistle
broke off its lanyard," Hurshe said.. "I reached in
my pocket for a new whistle but I was wearing a
new pair of pants, and there was no whistle there.
"Luckily, Fred had an extra whistle and he
tossed it to me. By the time I got to the table to let
the official scorer know the call, I already had the
whistle around my neck. It would have been an
embarrassing situation in front of a big crowd, but,

