Preparation
and anticipation helps offi cials stay out of the way. But they also depend on chemistry among crewmates. That’s where Kimber comes in. A longtime offi cial and former player at Hobart, Kimber, 79, is responsible for not only selecting the 15 individuals who make the trip to championship weekend, but also for creating each of the three-man crew combinations. It’s not an easy task balancing the personalities. Kimber has two unwritten rules. First, no offi cial should work a game in which he has a school affi liation. Tom Abbott, whom Kimber considers one of the most complete refs in college lacrosse, is a Syracuse man, which meant he couldn’t be assigned the championship with the potential for the Orange to be there. All of these refs are pros. None would put an alma mater ahead of his responsibilities to keep the game fair and safe. But this practice eliminates any whispers of impropriety. Second, no offi cial can work the NCAA
fi nal in consecutive seasons. “It used to be that someone had to die for a new guy to get into the championship game,” Kimber said. Wattles (along with Abbott) offi ciated the Loyola-Maryland game last
spring, so they were automatically penciled into the semifi nals. Then it comes down to personalities and experience. Calello, the youngest offi cial working the Division I games, fi lls up a room. At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, the 40-year-old takes up physical space, with a personality to match. The New Jersey native is expressive and excitable, qualities that don’t always benefi t an offi cial. “It’s something that I’ve been working on for a couple of years, trying to be the calmest guy on the fi eld,” Calello said. During a stoppage in play in the fourth
quarter of the Cornell-Duke semifi nal, Kimber came to the sidelines, caught Calello’s attention and motioned his hands to the ground in the universal signal to calm down. Calello’s partnership with Donovan — a steady, low-key individual — and Abbott was no accident. “You know Tom’s in charge and,
frankly, that’s comforting,” Calello said. It likewise was no accident that the second semifi nal featuring animated Denver coach Bill Tierney included a pair of alpha offi cials. O’Leary and Sutton are confi dent, experienced and extroverted. They provided the perfect antidote to Tierney, who was mollifi ed for much of the fi rst half, thanks mostly to the Pioneers’ hot start. He got agitated late in the second quarter, prompting O’Leary to joke at halftime, “That guy can’t go 30 minutes without yelling at someone, so we almost made it.” Wattles, the third man on the
crew, leaned in and whispered, “You have to joke around in this job to keep you sane.” Kimber admitted he has gone with an “all-star” philosophy in the past, putting the highest-rated offi cials on the same crew regardless
of personalities or other mitigating factors. But it typically produced less- than-optimal results. The team he rolled out for the NCAA championship game was the perfect blend of sugar and salt, especially considering he had to pick the candidates not knowing which teams would advance. Wittelsberger, who was the “R,” or crew chief, is more engaging than the taciturn Tom Abbott. Wittelsberger has an inherent ease around coaches. Brian Abbott (no relation) brings a no-nonsense approach to his duties. Parks, who paced the pre-game locker room like a gladiator before battle, resides in between. All three members of the championship
outfi t were worthy of being in charge on that particular day. But when you get to the cream of the crop, it does not matter who has the fi nal say. “Everyone here has been the lead dog all year, but the professionalism allows you to listen to others,” Brian Abbott said. When Kimber addressed the offi cials prior to championship weekend, he made a point of telling them that this was the highest honor for a collegiate offi cial. “There are 1,200 offi cials who want to be in this room right now,” he said. They knew it. Every one of them kept their phones handy the Monday after the NCAA quarterfi nals. Calello would not take a shower out of fear of missing Kimber’s call. “It’s the best phone call of the year,” Donovan said.
Much like the players and coaches who earned their trip to championship weekend, the offi cials have proven themselves to be the best at what they do. Only they don’t get trophies, fans and media accolades. They would rather no one knew they existed. LM
“You guys are completely absent from this game.” Kimber meant it as the highest of compliments.
A Publication of US Lacrosse July 2013 >> LACROSSE MAGAZINE 63
©KEVIN P. TUCKER
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