A softball player might dispute umpire Dick Kessler`s call on occasion, but no player could ever dispute that Kessler is an umpire`s umpire.
Kessler, 59, of Antioch has officiated high school, college and park district softball and basketball games for 20 years. He currently serves as a rules interpeter for the Illinois High School Association in softball and basketball. By day he works at Abbott Laboratories.
”I was somewhat of an athlete in my younger years,” said Kessler, who played 16-inch softball for 20 years and basketball until he was 37.
”Officiating gives me a way to stay involved. I put a whole bunch of kids through college with the extra bucks,” Kessler said.
He was watching a Little League game in Antioch 20 years ago when an umpire, fed up with the crowd`s insults, walked off the field. One of the Little League officials asked Kessler, knowledgable about the game but lacking experience, to fill in for the disgruntled umpire.
The next thing Kessler knew, he was being asked to officiate high school baseball games. He caught quite a bit of flack from the fans during that first game.
”I almost got killed. I blew a call and got strung up by the crowd. When the game was over, I remember thinking `Boy, am I glad I`m out of there,”
Kessler said.
But he didn`t stay out of there for long. Kessler joined the Northern Officials Association in Mundelein and learned the ropes quickly.
”Any new official that wants to become better than ordinary must join an organization where they can learn the rules,” Kessler said.
He carved a niche by offering to officiate high school girls` sports.
”In the early `70s, girls` sports were just starting up. I signed up for girls` sports when no self-respecting guy would do girls` ball. My daughters thought it was pretty cool that Dad was going to be doing girls` sports,”
Kessler said.
At Kessler`s peak, he officiated four to five softball and basketball games a week. He worked high school, college and park district league games.
He quit basketball recently because of bad knees, but he still actively umpires softball games.
Umpiring isn`t all fun and games.
”There are a lot of coaches who can`t stand me. If you have rabbit ears, if you have thin skin, then you shouldn`t be officiating. You have to concentrate on the game and not the crowd,” Kessler said. When you officiate at DePaul, you can really hear the roar of `Kessler, you`re blind!` ”
He definitely prefers officiating softball leagues where the players know how to play the game.
”The lower the level of the league, the more trouble you get. Some of these guys really aren`t athletes. When they err, they know it`s not their fault. The guy in the blue shirt and the blue pants (the umpire) must be at fault. These guys know 20 percent of the rules and they`re always arguing. They have real ego problems,” Kessler said.
