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Rhonda Rhodes never got a chance to play for her high school basketball team, but she still found a way to get into the game.

Rhodes, a longtime referee and one of the first women to serve in that capacity in Nebraska, is retiring after 25 years. She called her final high school game last week when Elkhorn played Elkhorn South.

"It's been kind of bittersweet for me this season," she said. "I've been thinking about retiring the past few years, and I just got the feeling it was time to step aside."

The 55-year-old Rhodes grew up playing basketball but didn't get the opportunity to play for the varsity. She graduated from Lincoln Northeast in 1974, shortly before the sport was sanctioned in Nebraska for girls on the high school level.

As a 5-foot-5 guard, she went on to play at Nebraska for two seasons. She didn't put up big numbers for the Huskers but still had an intense love for the game that led her to officiating.

"It all started because it was a responsibility at the YMCA where I worked," she said. "I enjoyed being part of the sport, and it was great exercise."

Rhodes admits that those early years weren't easy, especially when she and longtime officiating partner Ann Schroeder were breaking down barriers in what was previously a male domain.

"Officials aren't supposed to be noticed," she said. "But a lot of times the crowds didn't buy into that. They noticed us right away."

That was especially true when the duo called a boys game.

"Sometimes we'd hear things like, 'Why aren't you back in the kitchen?'" Rhodes said. "I think we worked twice as hard out there to make sure we did a great job."

She added that it took time to get used to the verbal abuse that often is heaped on officials during the heat of the game.

"I took things like that personally at the start," she said. "But I knew the fans were getting caught up in the game and that I couldn't let that stuff bother me."

Rhodes said she and Schroeder were rewarded for their efforts after officiating another early boys game.

"There was a crowd of fans that cheered us after the game when we left the court," she said. "That was like gravy on biscuits for us. It made us feel really good."

Rhodes also can look back on her lengthy career and laugh about a few of the things that didn't go quite right.

"I forgot my black pants once," she said. "I had to have a friend run and get them for me."

There also were times when she showed up for a game, only to find an empty gym. Rhodes hadn't been informed of those postponements, and it left her with some nagging questions.

"You immediately start thinking about where the heck you're supposed to be," she said. "You hoped there was no game going on someplace without a ref."

Bob Morrison, who has officiated many games with Rhodes, said he's going to miss seeing his friend on the court.

"Rhonda has taught so many officials so much over the years," he said. "It won't be quite the same without her."

Rhodes said she improved as an official because she realized that nobody is perfect.

"Sometimes I'd go up to a coach after a close call and admit that I missed it," she said. "It was amazing how that defused the situation, and then we just went on with the game from there."

The officiating work done by Rhodes and Schroeder did not go unnoticed. In 1993, they were the first women to officiate a girls state tournament game.

Rhodes has officiated at 11 state tournaments, an honor bestowed on referees graded the highest during the regular season by the Nebraska School Activities Association.

Rhodes, who also has worked many college games, has taken a photo of the crews she has worked with during her farewell tour this season.

"That's one of the biggest things that I'm going to miss," she said. "The camaraderie and the friendships you form over the years."

Rhodes, the executive director of the youth sports branch of the Lincoln YMCAs, said she is hopeful that more women will become involved with officiating. An NSAA official said that about 1,100 officials are registered in Nebraska, but only about a dozen are women.

"I know it's not easy, and it takes a special person," she said. "But if you love sports and have the right mind-set, it's something that can be very rewarding. I know it was for me."

Contact the writer:

402-444-1350, mike.patterson@owh.com

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