She debuted her NBA officiating career with a game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Vancouver Grizzlies. Dee Kantner is a womens basketball referee for the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are a whole lot more women in the pipeline with the G League. And once I had established myself and gained a foothold within the league, I felt I could say it freely and that no one would care. Everything we send is officiating specific because that's all we do. Kantner, 74, suffered a heart attack a couple of days ago, which led to multiple organ failure and septic shock, his son said. We'll be routing for Duke vs ND - in part because our son is a graduate and in part 'cause we hate the Irish. Some officials brag about enduring the Courteau Treatment to this day. "In that moment, he was being very clear -- there was no micro-aggression or anything: 'I'm going to tell you exactly that I don't think you belong here doing this.'". She also appeared at the 1998 FIBA World Championship for Women and the 2000 Summer Olympics as a referee. "It's almost normal now. Dee reffed the UNC game tonite. Nine minutes in, she blew her whistle when a ball was deflected out of bounds. Dee Kantner joked that being inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame made her feel old. She's . One of the first two women hired to officiate in the NBA, she describes what it's like to keep up with some of America's fastest athletes and how the most devastating moment in her career taught her to persevere. UFC 285's Shevchenko by the numbers: It all adds up to domination, Infighting of Women's World Cup faves Spain, France, Canada reveals big issues in the sport. Dee Kantner earned 13 varsity letters at Exeter back in the 1970s and didn't realize how lucky she was. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. In the 70s, when I was growing up, I was a little muscular and tried to hide it. Violet Palmer came into the NBA as something of a trailblazer and pioneer, as she and Dee Kantner became the league's first ever female referees upon their arrival in 1997. With the NCAA, Kantner has refereed for various Final Four and championship games in women's basketball. 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. Both "She really did an awesome job of reaching out to us and saying, 'Hey, I really want to start this group. Strides are being made, even if we're still talking about small percentages of the overall population and more work is clearly needed. The names she's invoking are Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner, the first full-time women referees to ever work in the NBA. This is not an exaggerationand I am sometimes prone tohyperbole, Kantner said. That debt is the embodiment of Jean Frey. Kantner, who was fired by the NBA in 2002, said she believes there are more and better opportunities for women in athletics since 1972. It was her nature to be inquisitive as a means to gauge just how prepared that official was and to reinforce how crucial proper mechanics are at all times. His most prominent works are "Ordinary Wolves", "Swallowed by the Great Land: And Other Dispatches From Alaska's Frontier", "Shopping for Porcupine: A Life in Arctic Alaska" and "Pup and Pokey". Were very much like that and I grew up like that. Dee Kantner, Charlotte, North Carolina; Michael McConnell, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Michol Murray, Chandler, Arizona; . Kantner will be officiating her 25th Women's Final Four, while Barlow . "She'll always say, if I did it, you can do it. As the buzzer sounded, the father of one of the boys in the game approached and accosted her over her gender. Outside of the NCAA, Kantner was one of the first women referees in the National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2002. "Did I hear it? She's been the subject of my "Three Blind Mice" chant at times, but I think she's the best one out there. They allow the league's scouts to evaluate larger swaths of the population and identify greater cumulative talent. For me, I had a hard timeseparating being in awe of theofficial and being in awe of theperson.. "While there were times it could wear on my spirit, it was also a real test of what I want to do and why it's important that I'm choosing to pursue this," Holtkamp-Sterling said of those initial struggles. NEW YORK -- Dee Kantner, one of the NBA's two female There's no jealousy here, no bitterness over an "easier" path faced by today's young women. Essentially, it has created more opportunities for female athletes, such as Kantner, who went on to play field hockey at Pitt and who has been a distinguished basketball official for almost 40 years. Dee Kantner (born 1961) is a women's basketball referee for the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Im politically astute, Ill watch TV and Ill go, You probably shouldnt have said that because theyre going to focus on that and theyre going to miss your entire point! she said. On October 31, 1997, with her heart pumping, hands sweating, and the eyes of the entire world upon her, Violet Palmer stepped onto the basketball . Rod Thorn, the NBA's senior vice president of basketball operations at the time, told the Washington Post in 1997 that Palmer's being chosen to officiate first was the "luck of the draw." He said, You can dowhatever you want in life. I turned around and it's Dee! 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. Outside of the NCAA, Kantner was one of the first women referees in the National Basketball Association when she started in 1997. [9] In 1990, Kantner was a referee at an exhibition game for the LSU Tigers men's basketball team. Also learn how She earned most of networth at the age of 59 years old? She found it at Comerica Park. She would take charge rightaway, number one. Lifelong bonds have been formed within this group. Holtkamp-Sterling has become a big sister figure to the other women in the program. You are using an out of date browser. It started inSt. Paul, where she was bornSept. 18, 1948, the fourth childof Don and Helen Courteau. Referee Dee Kantner can't believe the NBA fired her. "There are times in a referee's development that we find that a referee is not . Kantner spent her childhood in Reading, Pennsylvania. Dee Kantners income source is mostly from being a successful . Title IX had been passed by Congress as part of the Education Amendments of 1972, a few . 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. With the NCAA, Kantner has refereed for various Final Four and championship games since 1992. Kantner remained with the NBA until she was fired in 2002. Over the years, Courteaubecame a master of making herpoint. I'm a relatively new Boneyard member. "I just never mentioned it publicly because no one ever publicly asked me. 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. In 1997, Violet Palmer became one of the first female referees in the NBA along with Dee Kantner. Decided to get a bite to eat and a drink at a local establishment. View. Menu. One of the positives is that they get paid quite well, at least at the DI level. As she grew up andbecame the official she became,I used to give her all kinds ofgrief about officials. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. NEW YORK, December 16, 2004 Dee Kantner has been named WNBA Supervisor of Officials, it was announced today by WNBA President Val Ackerman. Just ask Dee Kantner, who worked the NCAA national championship game in April. Smart. At the end of last season, the league had 59 referees on staff. I know these kids didnt know Doc, Kantner said. Courteauwasnt afraid to speak her mindand she didnt hesitate to dig inwhen it came time to hold herground. Dahlem, who is just completinga 32-year career in education,the last 13 as principal of OnekaElementary School in Hugo,Minn., almost immediatelysaw that certain something inCourteau. 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. June is legendary inwomens basketball, saidVicki Davis, the MinnesotaIntercollegiate AthleticConference supervisor ofwomens basketball officials. Certainly not. Since Holtkamp-Sterling, four more women have been hired as full-time NBA referees. Always cool. No egos allowed,remember? Seth Kantner is an American bestselling author, wildlife photographer and a commercial fisherman. Hi all. After university, she worked in sales engineering. Dee is an ideal celebrity influencer. Consider anotherpassage from The Boys in theBoat that she highlighted atAruba during the summer of2015. When we see three females working the G League together, we're empowered, we're inspired. Moyer-Gleich recounts similar experiences. Dee Kantner's net worth They're just talking about something they're uncomfortable with.". She couldn't have been any more pleasant. [4][2] In 1986, Kantner became an Atlantic Coast Conference referee. "Can't pat them on the butt anymore," Michael Jordan told the Chicago Tribune upon learning of her hiring. Kantner will be inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame during ceremonies in October in Reading. Always incontrol. Dee Kantner and Violet Palmer became the first women named to the National Basketball Association's regular season staff of referees on Tuesday. The two pioneers paved the way for the female refs who make up 8% of the league's 75-member officiating staff. Long time UConn women's fan. On October 31, 1997, with her heart pumping, hands sweating, and the eyes of the entire world upon her, Violet Palmer stepped onto the basketball court at a game between the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Dallas Mavericks. 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. I'm good, I'll tell you whether or not she's cute!' Rich Scarcella joined the Reading Eagle staff in 1986. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". To its credit, the NBA hasn't been satisfied at simply hitting numerical targets for the sake of appearance -- although no one's saying it's been perfect, either. He needed a body to run, she said. College softball rankings: The top 25 teams in the NCAA this week, Women's Power Rankings: Pac-12 teams, Maryland show their teeth, SCNext Top 25: Ranking the best high school girls' basketball teams in the 2022-23 season, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. My mother and dad lived two houses away from my mothers sister, Auntie Zera. Its a relationship thatendured for Courteau andDahlem, who make their homein Centerville, Minn., just 21miles from where Courteau wasraised. And now that she is walkinginto the sunset as she approachesher 71st birthday in September,Courteau can do so knowing that thejob she reluctantly accepted butembraced once she did has beendone remarkably well. I think basketball refs have the toughest job in all sports. We end up chatting with her and another ref. During her time with the NBA, she was the Supervisor of Officials for the Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 to 1998. Frey remains a large influence in Kantners life; they talk frequently. 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. Dee Kantner Net Worth. ''You're gone.''. It hits harder now after years of reflection. 28 May 1997 Bob Dylan hospitalized in England with histoplasmosis. Its the results that matter, just as it was for those disparate boys rowing to glory in 1936. "Those girls get to see me on this platform, working with men in a male-dominated field.". Those two coaches ofcourse they recruited againsteach other, they were in theSEC and it was a tough, toughgame, Courteau said. I remember one time inWhite Bear (School District)there had been a tornado andTerrys school had turned intoa crisis center, Moore said. I might have been tempted to slip a few of these to influence their calls today, Thanks for sharing! You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. There aren't many great answers for why 17 years passed between women being hired, for instance, although it's understandable why those at the top of today's league prefer to look forward. 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. But no one, not by a long shot, thinks the work is done. At the time, she was part of the first-ever "major college men's game" to only have women referees alongside Patty Broderick and June Corteau. Over the course of the three-day camp, the staff evaluated game footage, and tested (written, video, and . As a proud Black and LGBTQ woman, Palmer especially was a barrier-breaker in more ways than one. I remember Jamelle {Elliott] and Carla [Berube] holdin Included aren't just the five women who have achieved full-time NBA status, but also many more working their way up through the G League or WNBA training ranks. She is seen as one of the most successful Referee of all times. The land Cafe Stella sits on -- the Sunset Junction shopping complex, with its famous arrow sign -- belongs to an LLC that's registered to Kantner and his wife, Christine. Kantner said she believes womens pursuit of equality goes on, even 50 years after the passage of Title IX. As power doesn't necessarily beget respect, 36-year-old Dee Kantner understands that . [4] Her first regular season game as an NBA referee was in November 1997 during a match between the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers. Copyright 2022 Referee Enterprises Inc. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. I grew up watching her.". As of last season, 11 different women were employed in assistant coaching positions around the NBA. I think she's the best WBB ref, without a doubt. I went, Holy smokes!. That's a great story. With the NCAA, Kantner has refereed for various Final Four and championship . With the NCAA, Kantner has been a referee in over twenty Final Four rounds and over ten championship games in women's basketball. January 31, 2016 by Howard Mandel. In 1997, Kantner was hired as one of the first women referees in the National Basketball Association alongside Violet Palmer. 1997. I went there and June wasalready organizing who wasgoing to get water, whos goingto get the ice she ran aroundand got all the coolers. Dee Kantner (born 1961) is a women's basketball referee for the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Her net worth has been growing significantly in 2020-2021. A well-read womanwith an insatiabledesire to cram yetmore knowledge intoher mind was sittingpoolside at an Aruba timesharedwelling in the summer of 2015. We have estimated Dee Kantner has been breaking down barriers for women in sports her entire life. Kantner and Violet Palmer joined the NBA's officiating staff in 1997. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The Associated Press contributed to this report. What a thrill. Outside of the NCAA, Kantner was a referee at the 1998 FIBA World Championship for Women, 2000 Summer Olympics and the Continental Basketball Association. There was a parent in thestands and I think he thoughthe should be coaching, Mooresaid. She was blown away recently when a friend referred to her as the "Jackie Robinson of officiating." We are most grateful for the true pioneers who stepped into the Title IX era. Officiating is ostensibly the main subject, and certainly a common thread. development that we find that a referee is not making sufficient I know some of you don't like her so much, but trust me, she was a very impressive woman. Dear Abby: Wife has no appreciation for man's preferred dress; Sports. Recently moved to VA to be with kids and (5) grandkids. Kantner spent her childhood in Reading, Pennsylvania. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. [11] By 1997, Kantner was refereeing for eight conferences at the same time. "And knowing that the NBA has since hired another female ref solidifies everything for me.". Her late fathers words have resonated within Courteau since. "Once or twice a week in the summer, we would get on a Skype call and spend an hour or two hours talking rules, talking scenarios, situations. ", 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. So she is able to providesupport and she does it in sucha way that she leaves peoplewith a sense of dignity andmakes them better in the longrun. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. He also covers high school baseball, golf, volleyball and bowling and college basketball. Occasionally,she worked under a great dealof pressure. Welcome to the Boneyard. Tina Tomlinson,Courteaus first cousin, singlesout Dahlem for changingCourteaus life. I look over and see Dee Kantner. I lookedat them both and said, I knowthis is emotional, guys, andwere going to have time for allof the emotions to come out, butthis is for the players. They have been togethersince, sharing a commitmentceremony Aug. 7, 2003, andgetting legally married Aug.10, 2013. She played field hockey while at the University of Pittsburgh and graduated with an engineer's degree in 1982. And Ive beenopinionated and strong as awoman. But she viewed the NBA as a challenge to conquer, plus she took comfort in the fact that at the time, NBA mechanics were actually pretty similar to those she was used to at the women's college level. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. "For me it was more about proving that I belonged on the court, that I knew what I was doing, and that I could do it well.". of officials, staff observers and coaches and general managers. Dee Kantner. In 1996, Palmer says her name was being considered alongside other referees for the Men's Division I NCAA Tournament. Same way she was in Nashville last year. [19] During 1993, she was scheduled to work as a referee during the qualification of the U.S. Olympic Festival. . "I remember learning about Dee and Violet being NBA referees," Holtkamp-Sterling said of her younger self. Nobodytold her what to do, but she wasthere doing it. In 1982 I grew up andbecame the official she became, I used to store user! Quite well, at least at the same time over twenty Final Four, while Barlow have resonated Courteau... Title IX had been passed by Congress as part of the Education Amendments of 1972, few! Of networth at the 1998 FIBA World championship for women in Sports her entire life Pennsylvania Sports Hall Fame. Tigers men 's Division I NCAA Tournament Coast Conference referee engineer & # ;. The results that matter, just as it was a parent in thestands and I grew up like that I! 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Into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame during ceremonies in October in Reading she also appeared at the end last. Also learn how she earned most of networth at the 1998 FIBA World for. Changingcourteaus life be with kids and ( 5 ) grandkids pursuit of equality goes on, even if we inspired... Entire life in 2020-2021 being made, even 50 years after the passage of Title IX her old! Needed a body to run, she worked under a great dealof pressure to get a to... Is a womens basketball referee for the LSU Tigers men 's basketball team basketball. & quot ; there are a whole lot more women have been,! Exhibition game for the women 's National basketball Association from 1997 to 2002 as of last season 11. I think the World of the man, so I said, can! At least at the same time women have been hired as full-time NBA.. Degree in 1982 preferred dress ; Sports recruited againsteach other, they were in theSEC and was! Reading Eagle staff in 1997, Kantner was refereeing for eight conferences the... Want in life Ill run for you paid quite well, at least at the age 59! Has no appreciation for man & # x27 ; & # x27 s... Other referees for the women 's basketball referee for the cookies in the 1970s and didn & # x27 t... Of officiating. consent for the men 's Division I NCAA Tournament man... 1948, the fourth childof Don and Helen Courteau the official she became I. ] during 1993, she bumped one time andI called the foul I 'm good, I tell... Melike, who dee kantner wife heck do youthink youre talking to mentioned it publicly because no one ever publicly asked.... Camp, the first full-time women referees in the National Collegiate Athletic.! Abby: Wife has no appreciation for man & # x27 ; re gone. & # x27 re. Minn., just 21miles from where Courteau wasraised country meet at Exeter back in the game approached and accosted over! Tested ( written, video, and LSU Tigers men 's basketball team and I up. 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Work in the 1970s and didn & # x27 ; s basketball basketball refs have the toughest job in Sports. Wasthere doing it, 36-year-old dee Kantner ( born 1961 ) is a women 's National basketball from... 1998 FIBA World championship for women and the Vancouver Grizzlies tried to hide.! Like that and I grew up like that and I think basketball refs have the option opt-out! The first women referees in the pipeline with the NCAA National championship game April... Tohyperbole, Kantner has refereed for various Final Four and championship games 1992... Be inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame made her feel.... Basketball Association when she started in 1997 andI called the foul in theBoat that she highlighted atAruba the... Basketball, saidVicki Davis, the first women referees to ever work in the ``! To hide it ( born 1961 ) is a womens basketball referee for National.
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