I look over and see Dee Kantner. 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. You can scroll down for information about her Social media profiles. I hated cross country.. Heres what I remember, Dahlemsaid. She found it at Comerica Park. Dee Kantner earned 13 varsity letters at Exeter back in the 1970s and didn't realize how lucky she was. With so many other factors weighing against her career, Palmer knew that making an issue of her sexuality would only add another bullseye to the back of her shirt. You can talk about the girl in the fifth row with the big ta-tas! Many WBB refs are terrible, though. I might have been tempted to slip a few of these to influence their calls today, Thanks for sharing! I look over and see Dee Kantner. Adam Sweeting. Hewould scrub the floor. ''I am, you're not,'' she said. Sureenough, I miss a lane violationbecause Im listening to him! Also learn how She earned most of networth at the age of 59 years old? Ithas to matter to you whether that crewmember wins the race and performs attheir best not just whether you do.. As she grew up andbecame the official she became,I used to give her all kinds ofgrief about officials. Those who learned from Courteau likely were peppered with a series of questions from her about a missed call that was made. I want toread my book! She kept interruptingme over and over and over again. "It's almost normal now. As a proud Black and LGBTQ woman, Palmer especially was a barrier-breaker in more ways than one. While the Board brings a diversity of experiences and backgrounds, they all share one . Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Then we headed back to our hotel. The Bee story said an end-of-season ratings system ranked Kantner last, though she refutes the system that says she's the league's worst official, the story said. Hey, why not build bridges instead of walls? Join Us in the Conversation. That debt is the embodiment of Jean Frey. And there was definitely some uncertainty amongst coaches and players about how to treat me on the court. "I said to the guys: 'You can curse! Both During her time with the NBA, she was the Supervisor of Officials for the Womens National Basketball Association from 1997 to 1998. Courteau, true to hernature, was long reticent to beinterviewed for a story. Dee Kantner is a womens basketball referee for the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Her currency? "Did I hear it? Fans of Rihanna have since praised the star for swiftly dropping the influencer from Savage X Fenty and now, some critics on social media are demanding for Fletcher to come forward with an apology, including actress LisaRaye. Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling remembers feeling vulnerable, but not intimidated. Decided to get a bite to eat and a drink at a local establishment. Her intent was not to humiliate the official but to make her or him understand the mechanics behind the call. While that was the most overtly negative experience Holtkamp-Sterling recalls from her career, it wasn't the only one. For me, I had a hard timeseparating being in awe of theofficial and being in awe of theperson.. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. He would do the dishes. Kantner, 36, of Charlotte, N.C., was the supervisor of officials this summer for the inaugural season of the Women's National Basketball Assn. [4], While at the University of Pittsburgh in 1982, Kantner became a referee at basketball games for churches. It was hard tosee that happen, but once wegot all that emotion out, it waspick up the pieces and figureout how to move forward.. "Being a Black woman herself, being a trailblazer as the first African-American [woman referee] in the NBA, she understands 100% of the challenges that I face," Jelks, 35, said. Holtkamp, 37, has made great strides professionally ever since she first began working NBA games during the 2014-15 season, but she stresses that even in the age of #MeToo, and even though her day . Dee Kantner earned 13 varsity letters at Exeter back in the 1970s and didnt realize how lucky she was. In 1997 Dee Kantner made history by becoming one of the first female officials in the NBA. Its a relationship thatendured for Courteau andDahlem, who make their homein Centerville, Minn., just 21miles from where Courteau wasraised. Certainly not. 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. Iwas a young official back inthe days when Division I wasworking two-person crews. At 61 years old, Dee Kantner height not available right now. "Middle child" is perhaps more fitting; as the only one of the five, current full-time women in the league with a direct connection to the Palmer/Kantner days. In several ways, Violet Palmer was a trailblazer. In that moment, history was made: Palmer became the first woman ever to referee a game in a major American men's professional sports league. I look over and see Dee Kantner. Its a little brightin here! I would look at mymom and brothers and sisterand say, Im not talking back! While Palmer and Kantner are no longer working for the NBA, their legacies live on. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on . Dee Kantner's net worth When RU was in Portland for the 2000 NCAA regionals, Dee got my wife, myself and 2 other folks tix to the NBA game at the Rose Garden one of the nights we were out there . "[He] confronted me and told me I didn't belong there, working that game," Holtkamp-Sterling recounted years later. Dee Kantner (born May 3, 1960) is a women's basketball referee for the National Collegiate Athletic Association since 1984. ", "The NBA has long been a good old boys' organization and a man's world," she said. According to our Database, She has no children. With the NCAA, Kantner has refereed for various Final Four and championship games in women's basketball. I wasonly 24 and I was working atUT-Chattanooga my first yearin the conference. Palmer recalls all the media hubbub that surrounded her and Kantner when they entered the league; when Holtkamp-Sterling did the same 17 years later, there was hardly so much as a press release -- something Palmer delighted in seeing. 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. The 62-year-old Kantner, who has lived in North Carolina for a long time, doesnt know where she would be without longtime Exeter girls basketball coach Jean Frey or Exeter history teacher Don Bickel, who convinced her to try cross country as a senior. Captaincy chaos and Waldrum ultimatums - Will Nigeria be ready for World Cup? Shes a motivator. She dedicated herself completely to the game, but also to earning respect just like anyone else. She played field hockey while at the University of Pittsburgh and graduated with an engineer's degree in 1982. 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. Without hesitation, one officialsaid she was heading home toget a good rest and study herrulebook to be on top of hergame in preparation for thenext day, when she would beofficiating with June Courteau.. She is not dating anyone. (615) 824-3855. She is from United States. And Ive beenopinionated and strong as awoman. And she was dressed to kill- I do a double take, and said Dee- you really clean up well! Referee Dee Kantner can't believe the NBA fired her. 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. I am completely blown away, to be honest.". This was a woman who kept her composure even in the tensest situations and calmly reminded irate coaches that just as they stated their position, it was only fair that she be given the opportunity to counter with hers. It does not store any personal data. Referee data is available for the 1988-89 through 2022-23 seasons. "I just never mentioned it publicly because no one ever publicly asked me. The 1997 Naismith Award winner as the women's basketball official of the year, Dee Kantner has officiated every NCAA Tournament since 1992. Im just kind of that way. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. "There are times in a referee's It was early in Holtkamp-Sterling's young basketball officiating career, years before she'd ascend to the NBA level. Palmer was hired alongside another female ref, Dee Kantner. 31 May 1997 Once Upon a Matress, closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 187 performances. And she looked at melike, Who the heck do youthink youre talking to? AndI thought, Oh, OK, fine! Shecame down the floor the nexttime, she bumped one time andI called the foul. ESPN was unable to obtain comment from Kantner, 60, for this story. "[The NBA] worked closely with me to make sure that the locker room was where I needed it to be as a nursing mother," Holtkamp-Sterling said. Kantner and Violet Palmer joined the NBA's officiating staff in 1997. We'll be routing for Duke vs ND - in part because our son is a graduate and in part 'cause we hate the Irish. As power doesn't necessarily beget respect, 36-year-old Dee Kantner understands that . Courteau was just asimpressive off the court, andMoore recalls one incident atDahlems school. Holtkamp-Sterling has become a big sister figure to the other women in the program. ''You're gone.''. She has a pure loving kind heart personality. Looking forward to #6 this year in Tampa Bay. It was the first time that women officiated regular-season games in an all-male U.S. professional league. This chain of efficiencystarted with standby officialGina Cross. Shes a doer, not justa leader.. From 2011 to 2015, she was a bartender during a memorable stretch for the Detroit Tigers, who reached the World . It truly was the boys in theboat rowing in unison underthe inspired watch of Courteau. Referee Dee Kantner blows her whistle to call a play during the game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Clippers at the STAPLES. But her big "coming out" moment didn't happen until 2014, when gay marriage became legalized in California. With the NCAA, Kantner has refereed for various Final Four and championship . She cameto watch and, after the game,she handed me seven pages ofnotes! The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Take careof the game. And they bothlooked at me, they get a grin ontheir faces and they said, Wevegot this, June. And then wentout there and nailed it. Dee Kantner, who started at the same time as Palmer, was fired after five years for "not making sufficient progress in her own development," according to an NBA statement given to the Associated . 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. Dare to Disrupt Aging! Title IX had been passed by Congress as part of the Education Amendments of 1972, a few years before Kantner began playing field hockey, basketball, track and, briefly, cross country at Exeter. Sitting at the bar my wife says, do you see who's at our right? "Dee has been terminated,'' NBA vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson said. That makes Kantner the . Sure, Courteau concedes thatshe could be and she makes noapologies all these years later. They were audible conversations for Palmer and Kantner, and sometimes more. There should be more than that, but theyre making progress. Homepage image via Flickr user Keith Allison. referees, has been fired, the NBA said Monday. , money, salary, income, and assets. I get up, I go behindthe scorers table, the gamesgoing on and Im heading intothe locker room and there isLisa Jones. In 1997, Violet Palmer became one of the first female referees in the NBA along with Dee Kantner. Hi all. It would quickly give way not only to an increase in gender diversity among officials, but to an inspiring tale of women empowerment and mentorship at the highest levels of a traditionally male field -- one full of locker room anecdotes, weekly Skype chats, group birthday vacations and a number of challenges. The approval of her peers in the officiating world. She is seen as one of the most successful Referee of all times. 2023 Wiki Biography & Celebrity Profiles as wikipedia, Danylo Sikan Wiki, Biography, Age, Net Worth, Family, Instagram, Twitter, Social Profiles & More Facts, Krishn Kanhai (Painter) Wiki, Biography, Age, Wife, Family, Net Worth, Shobu Kapoor (Actress) Wiki, Biography, Age, Husband, Family, Net Worth. Then we headed back to our hotel. ", Throughout Palmer's career as an NBA referee, she said she never had any player use discriminatory language toward her or make homophobic comments in her presence, despite it being common knowledge within the league that she is gay. Hard workers just work hard and let their results speak for themselves." "I see little girls sitting courtside, parents asking me to take a picture with their little daughter," Moyer-Gleich said. Amongst coaches and players about how to treat me on the court, andMoore one... Organization and a man 's world, '' she said this, June the successful. 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