Harold Andy Andersen

DELTON, Mich. -- Fifty-eight years ago, Harold "Andy" Andersen made two important decisions.

He was attending Western Michigan University and decided to take an officiating class.
...
"I started doing high school games when I took that officiating class," Andersen said."We had three-man crews back in those days and the pay was $5 for a varsity game.Today, it's $60 on up."

Over the years, Andersen officiated basketball, baseball, softball and track.

"When we started going to Florida in the fall, I cut back to just football," Andersen said."That was about 16 years ago."

Andersen's day job, until he retired in 1984 after 33 years, was as an instructor at the Michigan Career and Technical Institute at Pine Lake.It was there that he met Ken Buelow.

"I was good friends with Buelow (who was a longtime assistant coach under legendary Hall of Fame football coach Bill Maskill at Galesburg-Augusta) and later officiated many G-A football games," Andersen said.
...
Maskill hired Andersen often.

"He was a good official," Maskill said."He worked a lot of our games and I'd always tell him to 'leave your flags at home."'

Officiating's still a labor of love for Andersen.In fact, going into Labor Day weekend he worked two (junior varsity and freshman) games on Wednesday, a varsity game on Thursday, another varsity game on Friday and did a Rocket Football game on Saturday.

Over the years, Andersen has worked all the officiating positions."The easiest is back judge; you keep track of the 25-second play clock," he said.

He usually works as a line judge now, which sounds easy until "a long pass is thrown on your side and you have to get down the field."
...
"I don't remember the schools," Andersen said, "but there was a snowstorm, and we had to use people from the stands to be on the sideline so we could know where to mark the ball.You couldn't see the sideline markers."

The most memorable game among many was between "Battle Creek Central and Kalamazoo Central in the late 1940s," Andersen said."The score was 24-21.The rivalry was very strong between those two schools and still is today."

Kalamazoo Central and Battle Creek Central played for the 101st time Sept. 30 in the state's oldest rivalry, dating back to 1893.

Andersen, by the way, was a three-sport athlete at Battle Creek Central, graduating in 1944.

In the winter, Andersen and his wife, who have three adult children, make their home in Fort Myers, Fla.

How has his wife adapted to his officiating career?