The Crown Refs Podcast #386 Gerry’s Journeys | From HS courts to the Final Four | feat. Gerry Pollard
In this episode, we are honored to have NCAA Men's Basketball Coordinator Gerry Pollard, a seasoned official with over two decades of on-court experience, joining us. Gerry shares his remarkable journey starting as a high school referee and advancing to 21 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, culminating in a Final Four appearance in 2021. Now a coordinator for multiple conferences, Gerry brings a wealth of knowledge and real-world officiating wisdom, making this a must-listen for officials at every level.
𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 & 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀:
1. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: Gerry recounts how he got started, the steps he took to reach the college ranks, and his memorable experience working his way to the NCAA Final Four.
2. 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 & 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀: Includes the story of managing cross-country travels during a hectic schedule, like officiating in Central Florida on a Sunday and Gonzaga in Spokane on Monday.
3. 𝗣𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀: A SWAT officer’s approach to keeping in top physical form even during intense officiating seasons.
4. 𝗔𝗱𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Gerry discusses the impact of rule changes like the LGP (Legal Guarding Position) Block/Charge and shot clock introductions at the high school level.
5. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: From handling angry coaches like Bill Self to navigating the complexities of replay reviews.
6. 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: Gerry shares his experience juggling the demands of officiating with family life and why attending significant family events sometimes meant skipping high-profile games.
7. 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿: Gerry talks about his approach to mentoring young officials and the importance of developing a strong support network in the officiating community.
8. 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: Insight into attending camps, receiving feedback, and earning respect from veteran officials and coordinators.
9. 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: How to handle the faster pace of play as you transition from high school to college and beyond.
Special thanks to Erik Steffenson for hosting this episode and guiding a powerful conversation filled with practical insights and memorable stories.