There you are, sitting in the stands on the edge of your seat, the final moments of the game being played out, when you hear the shrill sound of a referee' s whistle. A split second later you hear the call that will either win or lose the game for the team you' re rooting for.
In those fragments of time that seem to stand still, have you ever wondered: who are these referees, and why do they get to call all the shots?
Meet Crissy Russo - formerly Crissy Di Luzio of 1998 state championship fame, now CYO Athletics referee, coach, wife, and mother.
How did Crissy become a referee? It all began at age 5, when she started shooting hoops with the boys at St. James Elementary School. A grade school aptitude soon turned into a high school passion at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory ( SHCP ) where in 1998 Russo and the varsity team became the first in San Francisco to win a basketball state championship in 70 years.
" It was exciting," Russo said. " I got to meet the Mayor ( Willie Brown ) . We were a Cinderella team. No one thought we' d make it past Nor - Cal sectionals."
Russo starred in that game, tying the record for most points scored in a state game ( 29 ) .
While at SHCP, Russo connected with Rick Robles, the referee assignor for all CYO games and her friend since childhood. He took Russo under his wing and taught her about being an official.
From Robles she learned that refereeing is similar to coaching, just minute - by - minute, play - by - play. " Every game is a tremendous learning opportunity, both for the players and for the officials," she said, adding, "
When I referee a game being played by third through fifth graders, I let them know why I make each call so they can learn from their mistakes. The coach on the sidelines can only say so much during a game, and may not be able to offer insight as immediately as a referee can."
Russo continued her CYO refereeing while attending San Jose State University where she also played basketball. A little older and wiser, she said her role as a CYO referee during college became a way to give back to the community and return to her basketball roots. " Playing CYO sports as a kid built my foundation as an athlete and contributed to my success. I wanted to inspire and motivate kids the way so many of my CYO coaches had inspired me."
Russo earned a degree in business administration from San Jose State in 2003 and this year marks her tenth year as an official for CYO and her fourth year as a CYO coach. She and her husband married in August 2006 and welcomed their first child last October.
If family and CYO activities don' t keep her busy enough, she has a full - time job as a senior marketing coordinator. She officiates nine to 11 games per week that fill many evenings and most weekends.
In her free time, she enjoys playing in a recreational basketball league with friends she' s known since she was 12.
Russo smiles when summing her philosophy. " What I hope to teach young players today through coaching and officiating is that they have what it takes to be winners, each and every one of them."
Deidre Rettenmaier is a grants associate
at Catholic Charities CYO.
