Photo Courtesy of ChoateFlickr
With the frequent cancellation of athletic contests because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, referees — an often overlooked but vital part of high-school interscholastic sports — are having a hard time finding games to officiate.
Normally busy officiating Choate basketball games this time of year, two local referees recently described their navigation through these times.
Mr. Brad Chernovetz, a teacher from New Haven, CT, has been refereeing basketball games throughout the state for the past 22 years. Currently, Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) has approved the resume of Connecticut winter high school sports season, beginning on February 8.
“Players, as well as referees, will be required to wear a mask at all times during the game and no showering or changing in the locker rooms,” said Mr. Chernovetz.
Last Saturday, Mr. Chernovetz refereed his first game in over eleven months at Caldwell University in New Jersey. “I felt pretty safe at the game, as there were no fans in attendance and all the players, coaches, and myself had to test negative before the game,” said Mr. Chernovetz.
For Mr. Dave Scasino, a Sales Manager at White Way Uniform Services in Wallingford, not being able to referee basketball games has been extremely challenging. “This is my 41st year [officiating], and I treat it like my first. I enjoy being out, going to different gyms every night, meeting new people as well as seeing longtime friends,” said Mr. Scasino.
Many Choate student athletes also miss the sense of community and camaraderie within sports teams that has been fractured due to the pandemic. Although student-athletes are hoping to reassemble with their teams, Mr. Scasino described the many challenges he envisioned when he begins refereeing soon. “They told us that we would have mask breaks during the game to catch a breather. Quite honestly, we do not know how we are going to be able to keep up with running up and down the court,” he said.
Indeed, a common theme that has appeared in the past few months has been the difficulty of wearing a mask while exercising. Currently, all gyms in the U.S. require the use of face-coverings, even on cardio machines. Although wearing a mask when exercising might be uncomfortable, a new study conducted by the University of Saskatchewan published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health demonstrated that there are no detrimental health effects of wearing a mask during intense exercise.
Both experienced referees were excited to get back on the court but were insistent about following the new health protocols. “It’s a learning curve for everyone, just have to do the best with what you’ve got,” said Mr. Scasino. While Choate’s Spring Athletic Season remains uncertain, all eyes are on how the CIAC and Winter Sports play out.
