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.⁣

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𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 & 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀:⁣

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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.⁣

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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.⁣

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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.⁣

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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.⁣

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5. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: From handling angry coaches like Bill Self to navigating the complexities of replay reviews.⁣

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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.⁣

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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.⁣

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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.⁣

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9. 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: How to handle the faster pace of play as you transition from high school to college and beyond.⁣

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Special thanks to Erik Steffenson for hosting this episode and guiding a powerful conversation filled with practical insights and memorable stories.