There should be more than that, but theyre making progress. It's needed that we strengthen each other emotionally, and just have that good support team.". Equal Pay College Referees Basketball FILE - Referee Dee Kantner works in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game between Tennessee and Vanderbilt Monday, Jan. 5, 2015, in Nashville, Tenn. Kantner, a veteran referee of women's games who works for multiple conferences, finds it frustrating to have to justify equal pay. With the NCAA, Kantner has refereed for various Final Four and championship . With the NCAA, Kantner has refereed for various Final Four and championship games since 1992. After graduating from North St. Paul High School in 1966, she earned a Bachelor of Science in physical education, health, speech and theater from Winona State in 72 and then a Masters of Arts in speech and communications from Northern Iowa in 76. Once she accepted and Courteaus wife, Teresa Dahlem, deserves a great deal of credit for that this woman committed herself to raise the bar in officiating, just as she has since first pulling on a striped shirt. Occasionally,she worked under a great dealof pressure. I openedthe door and this is going tosound real hokey, but it wasliterally love at first sight. Well, ND certainly didn't look like the #2 team in the country. Its a relationship thatendured for Courteau andDahlem, who make their homein Centerville, Minn., just 21miles from where Courteau wasraised. She cited what happened at a 2021 NCAA Womens Basketball Tournament site as a sign that women are still fighting for equality. We were at the great Louisville vs UNC game tonite. Referee Dee Kantner can't believe the NBA fired her. She is the one who wrotethe book on Officiating 101, in myopinion. Dennis Rodman chimed in with a stab of his own, as recounted in footage from a recent documentary short about Palmer, titled Queen Vee: "Well, if you take her hair off, I think she's a man. I know these kids didnt know Doc, Kantner said. Palmer and Kantner smashed this barrier; those who came after them are trying to stomp on its remains. She said it wasn't until 2007 that she finally shared her "secret" with her fellow referees. I can honestly say that after being around them and getting comments like 'why are you here?' And those words were also agreat teaching point for a consummateleader who intended to leave collegebasketball officiating far better thanwhere she found it. 29 May 1997 Jesse Timmedequas, found guilty of rape / murder of Megan Kanka, 7. She saw Micholgo down and said, Theyregoing to need a standby, youguys. So she changes againand comes out. Dee is an ideal celebrity influencer. Kantner remained with the NBA until she was fired in 2002. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. I'm a relatively new Boneyard member. She debuted her NBA officiating career with a game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Vancouver Grizzlies. Hard workers just work hard and let their results speak for themselves." I'm good, I'll tell you whether or not she's cute!' Dee Kantner is a basketball referee. ESPN.com news services. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Her late fathers words have resonated within Courteau since. With the NCAA, Kantner has been a referee in over twenty Final Four rounds and over ten championship games in womens basketball. Dee Kantner (born 1961) is a women's basketball referee for the National Collegiate Athletic Association. She's a pro! Cindy Moore, a retiredhigh school administrator inMinnesota who has knownCourteau for more than 20years, recalls both a bridgebuilder and a proactive achiever. Outside of the NCAA, Kantner was one of the first women referees in the National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2002. Shemarked, Good crews are blends ofpersonalities; someone to lead thecharge, someone to hold somethingin reserve; someone to pick a fight,someone to make peace; someoneto think things through, someone tocharge ahead without thinking somehow, all this must mesh. AndCourteau also highlighted the passage,If you dont like some person in theboat, you have to learn to like them. It was a ND game. Young women shouldn't have to look at officiating, or so many other traditionally male-dominated professions, as rarified air for only the chosen few. ''You're gone.''. Outside of the NCAA, Kantner was one of the first women referees in the National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2002. With the NCAA, Kantner has refereed for various Final Four and championship games in womens basketball. There's no jealousy here, no bitterness over an "easier" path faced by today's young women. I think the world of the man, so I said, Of course, Ill run for you. I threw up every time I ran a cross country meet. I look over and see Dee Kantner. To that effect, there have been real efforts toward promoting equality and diversity within the officiating ranks, the sort that may not make headlines but truly advance a progressive agenda. In her era, women were supposed to glisten and not sweat.. "This is a man's game, and it should stay that way," NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley once quipped. , money, salary, income, and assets. Sitting at the bar my wife says, do you see who's at our right? After all, she could have stayed in women's basketball, where she was one of the top officials in the college world. Sarah Thomas - The first female official to work an NFL game. Growing up on a corner lot at1689 Barclay St., in Maplewood,a suburb of St. Paul, with oldersiblings Mick, Sharon andBill, Courteau has a mentalscrapbook of memories withnumerous relatives who were inher life. The women that are coming on the scene now are helping us -- we're not helping them.". Kantner and Violet Palmer joined the NBA's officiating staff in 1997. I thought that was awesome. With the NCAA, Kantner has refereed for various Final Four and . Dee Kantner. As an official, by definition, Dee prefers to go unnoticed. "I'm always leery of someone who tells me how hard they work. The NBA has made significant alterations since Palmer and Kantner's day, where the league would have to improvise a makeshift women's locker room in arenas that weren't prepared for them. Kantner began refereeing while at the University of Pittsburgh. The 1997 Naismith Award winner as the women's basketball official of the year, Dee Kantner has officiated every NCAA Tournament since 1992. Moyer-Gleich recounts similar experiences. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. We end up chatting with her and another ref who will work the Duke/ND game on Sat. Thats a story Ill never forget.. One year earlier, one of the most decorated and respected officials in the history of womens basketball had to be convinced to become the NCAA national coordinator of womens basketball officiating. Adam Sweeting. I would probably be working a different job.. Her net worth has been growing significantly in 2020-2021. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Dee Kantner, Charlotte, N.C.; Brenda Pantoja, Las Vegas; Pualani Spurlock-Welsh, Decatur, Ga.; Joe Vaszily, Westfield, N.J.; Included in the group of 11 are Kantner, who will be working an . She laughed and we had a chat about the game. They coached our softball team and those were great learning experiences.. 8 ejected after UK-Florida scuffle at SEC tourney, American Diggins wins gold in cross country skiing, NWSL's Pride change shorts over period concerns, Serrano injured; rematch with Taylor postponed, Auriemma critical of 'selfish' Huskies after finale, French FA chief resigns amid series of scandals. Are we good? No egos allowed,remember? Outside of the NCAA, Kantner was one of the first women referees in the National Basketball Association when she started in 1997. I have always been protective about the media.. I said, Gina, youre goingin. I am completely blown away, to be honest.". Did she immediately call two fouls on Dolson? "Dee has been terminated,'' NBA vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson said. She started officiating in 1968 at the age of 20 and built a spectacular career at the college level, with the International Basketball Federation and in the professional ranks. Always cool. I know some of you don't like her so much, but trust me, she was a very impressive woman. One memory is with LisaLeslie, a 6-foot-5 superstar withthe Los Angeles Sparks duringCourteaus time as an official inthe WNBA from 1997-2010. Iwas a young official back inthe days when Division I wasworking two-person crews. "In recent years, we have focused on expanding our pipeline of officials to greatly increase the pool of potential hires, and we have seen encouraging results, not only in the NBA but in the WNBA and the G League as well," Adam Silver, who became NBA commissioner in 2014, said to ESPN. . Her first regular season game as an NBA referee was in November 1997 during a match between the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers. My mother said I had to stop when I was 14 because they were tackling me. Im proud of all those officialsrunning up and down the floor, tryingto get it right, Courteau said in oneof her farewell messages as she headsinto retirement with Teresa, who hasbeen in education for 32 years. ", "But I think I've proven that a woman can do this job and do it well," she continued. Shejust said, Those are seven pagesof notes because your mechanicsare awful, your positioning isnot that good, but what youhave that feel for the game I cant teach you. Today, though, this is frankly the bare minimum; no one in the league office is patting themselves on the back for simply keeping up with the times. But Courteau has never been one to rest on her laurels and she used that highlighter extensively as she turned the pages of the book in search of potential teaching points and drove Teresa nuts as her wife was trying to read a book of her own at that poolside four years ago. Then we headed back to our hotel. Dee reffed the UNC game tonite. I remember being in thelocker room after a game witha basketball crew and afterthe critique, we talked abouteveryones next assignment. Dee Kantner (F) Larry Sheppard (F) 12 Women's Final Four Game Officials 1996 Art Bomegen (SF) Doug Cloud (SF) Wes Dean (SF) John Morningstar (SF) Bob Trammell (SF) Scott Yarborough (SF) Sally Bell (F) Dee Kantner (F) Violet Palmer (F) 1997 Sally Bell (SF) Carla Fujimoto (SF) Ray Bomeli (SF) "He passed today at 2:22 p.m. PT," Gareth Kantner said. It wasnever about her, it was about herbody of work, which said all shecared to say. Kantner has also held the positions of Director of Referee Development and Supervisor of Officials for the Women's National Basketball Association during the 2000s. We end up chatting with her and another ref who will work the Duke/ND game on Sat. In several ways, Violet Palmer was a trailblazer. Hardwood Herstory - Dee Kantner. Jelks describes people telling her that their daughters tune into NBA games she works and won't even focus on the players; their eyes only on her. She spent the majority of her life training and teaching and identifying young officials shedeveloped. Decent seats. officials for the WNBA. Allpossibilities were covered andthey had to be activated. 20. Dee is currently serving as Vice President, a great role for someone with a heart as big as Dee's. Several years ago, she joined the Board and quickly worked to galvanize women's basketball officials . NEW YORK, December 16, 2004 Dee Kantner has been named WNBA Supervisor of Officials, it was announced today by WNBA President Val Ackerman. Skype chats gave way to lengthy group texts, including several that persist to this day. Dee Kantner is a women's basketball referee for the National Collegiate Athletic Association since 1984. That doesn't bother me, because we're all just referees and we have to be able to co-mingle. The Kay Yow Cancer Fund Board of Directors is comprised of colleagues from the women's basketball world, distinguished physicians, respected business leaders, prominent media representatives, and allies in the fight against ALL cancers affecting women. The initiative is one that comes straight from the top of the NBA hierarchy. Thats June Courteau foryou. Moyer-Gleich tells multiple stories of NBA security staff confusing her for a cheerleader or a referee's wife when she entered the building to officiate games; to varying degrees, her peers have similar experiences. She had way too much integrity to accept my "offer". "And it's even better when the things they see are possible look like them.". Even in her earliest years, Courteau had a way of controlling games and not backing down from coaches who clearly tried to intimidate her. [9][23], "Women refs ready to run with Bulls . "I'm not sure what the reason really was, but that was the rumor," she said. "Being able to see myself in them -- they trailblazed that.". That debt is the embodiment of Jean Frey. So, how much is Dee Kantner worth at the age of 61 years old? These situations are still presenting themselves, Kantner said, and people still need to give voice to the fact that the inequities still exist. Her 43 years of womens basketball officiating, during which she worked 12 NCAA Final Fours, including five national championship games, served as a formidable foundation when she became just the fourth person to hold the title of national coordinator. [16] After leaving the NBA, she continued to work in the WNBA as the Director of Referee Development from 2002 to 2004 and was renamed Supervisor of Officials in 2004. With her recent retirement announcement, she took time to reflect upon what that means. Kantner said she believes womens pursuit of equality goes on, even 50 years after the passage of Title IX. That came in 1989 whenshe met Dahlem before a gameat the University of Minnesota. When Holtkamp-Sterling returned to officiating after giving birth in 2019, the league had arranged specific accommodations for her as its first-ever mother to officiate a game. "Those girls get to see me on this platform, working with men in a male-dominated field.". Eventually, it's going to catch up with you. Discover Dee Kantner's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Youve been watching whattheyve been calling, youvegot the tempo and the tone,just warm up, Courteau said. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Routing for Jeff and his girls. My face is seriously laughing. Rich Scarcella joined the Reading Eagle staff in 1986. After leaving the NBA, she continued to work in the WNBA as the Director of Referee Development from 2002 to 2004 and was renamed Supervisor of Officials in 2004. Palmer officiated 919 NBA games before retiring at the age of 52 and became the first woman to helm an NBA playoff game in 2006. [10], Kantner was a referee for six conferences simultaneously in 1992, such as the Big Ten Conference and Southeastern Conference. According to Palmer, rumors indicated it was because some men on the NCAA Committee disapproved. While Palmer and Kantner are no longer working for the NBA, their legacies live on. Id do iton purpose to get her all riledup and it was fun to hear herdefend her profession becauseshe was so damn good at it.. We are most grateful for the true pioneers who stepped into the Title IX era. In 38 seasons on the sideline in Knoxville, Summitt won eight national championships and 1,098 games, the most in NCAA men's or women's basketball history. January 31, 2016 by Howard Mandel. "I see little girls sitting courtside, parents asking me to take a picture with their little daughter," Moyer-Gleich said. Her intent was not to humiliate the official but to make her or him understand the mechanics behind the call. She dedicated herself completely to the game, but also to earning respect just like anyone else. I couldnt read my book. worked through the 2001-02 season. I get up, I go behindthe scorers table, the gamesgoing on and Im heading intothe locker room and there isLisa Jones. I might have been tempted to slip a few of these to influence their calls today, Thanks for sharing! Shes a motivator. In this case, we felt that her termination was warranted.''. Dee Kantners income source is mostly from being a successful . When it comes to mentors within the officiating world, though, it all comes back to the paths forged before them. Actually I did jokingly offer her $$. By the time we came along, those opportunities did exist and I didnt realize how bad it had been.. It was my very firststandby job. Peter Jackel is an award-winningsportswriter from Racine, Wis. "Because I answered those questions early in the process for myself, it helped me create a career that is sustaining and meaningful.". [20] Kantner reffed a quarterfinal game during the women's basketball event at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Even if the newposition, as Dahlem recalled, couldbe so overwhelming at times thatit sometimes brought Courteau totears. Jun 14, 2016. operations Stu Jackson said. Shewas clearly inspired by it and keptreading the quotes. "And from the beginning, they have always been supportive of me and my success. Scroll Down and find everything about her. Kantner began refereeing while at the University of Pittsburgh. 1997. Same way she was in Nashville last year. It was cruel, brilliant, beautifully written and perfectly designed, and feared by all. [4], While at the University of Pittsburgh in 1982, Kantner became a referee at basketball games for churches. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". JavaScript is disabled. "It's almost normal now. The article is made available for educational use by individuals. Once she accepted and Courteau's wife, Teresa Dahlem, deserves a great deal of credit for that this woman committed herself to raise the bar in officiating, just as she has since first pulling on a striped shirt. At 61 years old, Dee Kantner height not available right now. "This isn't, 'Let's go out and do social work,'" Monty McCutchen, NBA's vice president of referee development and training, said. ", "The NBA has long been a good old boys' organization and a man's world," she said. I hated cross country.. "I remember learning about Dee and Violet being NBA referees," Holtkamp-Sterling said of her younger self. Youve seen the movie MyBig Fat Greek Wedding where you had the loud family that takes a half-hour to say hi and takes you a half-hour to say goodbye? Equality goes on, even 50 years after the passage, If you dont some. Net worth has been a good old boys ' organization and a man 's world, though, 's., where she was one of the NBA & # x27 ; re gone. & # x27 ; & x27. 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