Agents Get Pick of Golf Delights - Acuity

ERIN RICKARD
She’s Official: Claims Rep Follows
Father’s Footsteps to the Court, ACUITY
As an official for high school and college
basketball, Erin Rickard goes into each game with two
main objectives: to be fair, and to be invisible.
“Ultimately as officials, we don’t want to be seen,”
explains Erin, Inside Claims Representative. “We don’t
want to be a factor in the game. It’s the players’ time
to shine.”
Erin has been refereeing games since high school.
She spent her time as a player on the basketball court
and soccer field for the Cedarburg Bulldogs during the
school year and worked the recreational leagues as an
official in the summer.
Erin’s father, Dennis Rickard, who is a Commercial
Underwriting Manager at ACUITY, encouraged Erin to
put on the stripes. “He asked me if I’d rather flip burgers
during the summer or spend my time running up and
down the court doing something that I would really
like,” she recalls. “It was an easy choice.”
Dennis, who has been a high school soccer and
basketball official for nearly 30 years, taught Erin the
basics of calling a game. “We started with the mechanics
of signal calling, making quick and clear decisions that
people would understand, and learning how to apply the
rules in different situations,” Erin recalls.
After high school, Erin attended UW-Oshkosh,
where she divided her time between her studies, soccer,
and basketball officiating. She enrolled in basketball
officials’ camps to earn the right to work college
games in addition to high school. Today, Erin
referees collegiate games in the Midwest,
North Atlantic, and WIAC conferences.
“There are times when I don’t get home from a game
until 2 a.m. because of where the game is located,” Erin
says. “If the game is very far away, I end up spending
vacation time to work it.”
Another challenge for officials comes from coaches
and fans. “You need to have a tough skin,” says Erin. “It
can be intimidating, but that’s where having training and
confidence comes into play.”
Communicating with the rest of the crew is essential.
“We work closely with each other to be sure we are
as consistent as we can be in the eyes of the coaches,
players, and spectators,” Erin explains.
Love of the Game
This year, Erin worked the WIAA state tournament,
the first year the girls’ bracket has had an all-female
officiating crew. “It was a tremendous experience to be
part of that,” says Erin.
And while the challenges of the role are great, the
rewards are greater. “People ask me what I like about
officiating. I don’t like it—I love it,” she says. “I love
the game, and I love the family we form among the
different people I’ve met through the game.”
Erin has just one thing she wishes fans would
understand. “Basketball is a game of angles,” she says.
“A lot of times what looks to be a clear cut call to a fan
in the upper row across the court is actually the opposite
of what they would see if they were five feet away
from the action
on the court.”•
Court Challenges
There’s more to being an official than
simply showing up on game days. “It’s
challenging. You need to do your homework
outside of games, watch a lot of film, and
network. There are days after a game I
have a hundred emails from other
officials with questions and
clips,” she says.
Balancing work and
travel is also a challenge.