By USADSF
Marsha Wetzel |
An instructor from the National Technical Institute for the
Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology has become the first
female deaf referee in the history of NCAA Division I.
Marsha Wetzel participated in the referee try-out camp for the
Patriot and Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Conferences over the
summer and was added to the staff of both, said Renee Dorfman,
coordinator of officials for the Patriot League.
"She's very crisp and very clear with her signals, she
exhibits good judgment and consistent, fair application of the
rules," said Marie Koch, coordinator of officials for Atlantic
10 Conference. "Her court awareness is excellent."
Both Koch and Dorfman said that Wetzel's being deaf has had
no impact on her ability on the court.
"Marsha has certainly worked hard and has earned the right
to be in a Division 1 game, simply based on her officiating ability,
and nothing else," said Koch. "And she would be the
first to tell you that she must continue to work hard to maintain
her status."
"If a coach has a question for Marsha," said Dorfman,
"she would be able to address the question with her partners,
just as a hearing official would. She usually has a sign language
interpreter on hand during the whole game; but if not, she and
her colleagues write notes back and forth."
In addition to the Atlantic 10 and Patriot League conferences,
Wetzel also officiates at NCAA Division III games and high school
contests.
Wetzel is an NTID instructor and Sports Assistant Program Coordinator
at RIT where she works with RIT's 1,100 deaf and hard-of-hearing
students and supports those who are involved in RIT's intercollegiate
athletic and intramural programs.
Her responsibilities include teaching Wellness for Life and
Wellness Activity classes to deaf students, including basketball
officiating. Wetzel also hosts deaf awareness workshops to RIT
intercollegiate athletic teams and its Center for Human Performance
staff and student employees, and provides support to deaf and
hard-of-hearing intramural teams and officials, and serves as
student club advisor for RIT's Deaf Basketball Association.
"Marsha is an exemplary role model for all of our students
at RIT," said Robert R. Davila, CEO of NTID and vice president
at RIT. "She proves that education, hard work and commitment
eliminate any obstacles people think they have toward realizing
their dreams."
A skilled basketball player herself, Wetzel played at Gallaudet
University, where she earned a B.S. in Recreation and Leisure
Studies in 1985, and another B.S. degree in Physical Education
in 1990. She then earned an M.S. in Athletic 0_administration in
1993 from Springfield College in Massachusetts, and another M.S.
in Deaf Education in 1998 from Western Maryland College. She earned
Coach of the Year Award after just one year of coaching girls
varsity basketball at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf
in Washington, D.C., from the International Association of Approved
Basketball Officials. Wetzel represented the United States at
two Deaflympics, playing on the USA Women Basketball teams in
1985 in Los Angeles, CA and in 1989 in New Zealand.
Note: Article extracted
from USA
Deaf Sports Federation web site
