Let’s try capitalism again
January 8, 2008
Ruth Rainey
January 10, 2008
Referees are an underappreciated set.
A simple blow of the whistle can ignite a cacophony of nasty insults that could readily test their support of the First Amendment.
But Ron Alcorn is able to keep things in perspective. As an NCAA Division I women’s basketball referee that primarily works the Southland Conference, he knows the occasional jeering section is something that comes with the territory.
Zebras of Alcorn’s ilk have a thick skin.
“Basically, fans are fans and coaches are coaches,” said Alcorn, who also works as the Thibodaux Recreation director. “I’ve dealt with some angry coaches and fans who will really boo you if they don’t agree with a call. But I love officiating basketball.”
Almost as much as he enjoyed playing it.
Alcorn averaged 16 points a game as a senior forward at Assumption High School in 1992.
He has fond memories of those days.
“We were awesome,” he said. “We would always make it to the (state) quarterfinals and lose, but we were the best in the bayou.”
Alcorn’s ability landed him a spot on Grambling State University men’s basketball team the following season. Even though he saw limited playing time as a reserve, he was able to bolster his knowledge of the game from the bench.
A few years after graduating, Alcorn was able to put his hoops acumen to good use when a buddy asked him to officiate a youth scrimmage.
“I said no at first, but eventually went out and worked a couple of scrimmages,” he explained. “It was very awkward to me at first, almost as if I was a person learning to ride a bicycle for the first time. But once I learned to run and put air in the whistle, I started to like it a lot.”
Alcorn started out in the Thibodaux Biddy leagues and eventually progressed to junior high and then high school games – including the annual East vs. West All-Star Game.
“As time went on, I wanted to see if I could take it to the next level,” he said.
Alcorn acted on this impulse by attending NCAA Division I college officiating camps a little more than four years ago.
The rest is history.
“The coordinators took a liking to me and hired me,” he said.
Fellow referee Greg White thinks it was an easy decision. Alcorn helped White get his start as a Division I men’s coach.
“Naturally, Ron is going to be a great official because he’s a great individual,” White said. “He’s one of those cats you feel comfortable calling a friend and a brother.
“Ron knows the game because he played the game, and that’s why officiating comes naturally to him.”
Nonetheless, Alcorn isn’t perfect – something coaches will quickly remind him of every time he misses a call.
“I’m always honest and sometimes will say ‘Hey coach, I missed it. I will get the next one,’” he said. “I have to say that 95 to 98 percent of the coaches I come across are first-class ladies and gentlemen. But a good game for me is to go unseen and unnoticed as much as possible.”
Alcorn is excited about the upcoming Southland Conference playoffs, but treats every game like it’s a national championship.
“Basically, I keep coming back as a ref because I love the game and don’t play it anymore,” he said. “The passion I have for basketball, along with the people I have met around the state and country as an official, has made being a referee an awesome experience in my life.”
Ron Alcorn has been a collegiate Division I women’s basketball referee for more than four years. (Photo by CHRIS SCARNATI
- Tri-Parish Times)
