Jamestown banker is well-known Zebra in N.D. wrestling, football circles

Northwestern Financial Review, Nov 4, 2000 by Olmsted, Monte

The loud and abrupt hand-slap to the wrestling mat along with the sharp toot of a whistle signal the end of the match as one grappler pins the other. Victory for one, a tough loss for the other. But for Jamestown, N.D., banker Casey Henderson-the man behind the hand-slap and whistle-blowing-- it's not about winning and losing.

It's about continued participation in the sports world he loves and helping young athletes understand the rules of competition -even if it has earned him the nickname "Quick-Pin Casey."

For the 12th year, the 31-year-old Henderson will don his referee's black-and-white striped "zebra" uniform for high school and college wrestling matches, and his eighth year on the football grid-iron. His moonlighting as a sporting event official has taken him around the state, but not hindered his duties as vice president of agricultural lending for the $114 million Stutsman County State Bank.

"One thing about banking and refereeing is they allow you to interact with different people and you meet a lot of people in both of them," said Henderson. "You feel the sense of helping the community, whether it's helping a high school with a football game or a community with a project it's trying to build."

A banker for nearly 10 years, Henderson is in his second stint with Stutsman County State Bank, where he began his career. He left the Jamestown bank to work a few years with Farm Credit Services in Williston, and later Peoples State Bank in Velva, before returning to Jamestown in 1997.

Today as an ag lender, Henderson deals with customers by relying on his experiences growing up on a farm near Hansboro, N.D., a few miles from the Canadian border. And as a sports official, he relies on his athletic background to keep up with the players and maintain his cool with the handful of obnoxious fans.

A lifelong sports enthusiast, Henderson said he started officiating because he wanted to remain close to sports as well as see his brothers launch wrestling careers. His sports experiences are many. In college, Henderson was a linebacker on the football team, and he wrestled in high school, achieving a state runner-up spot his senior year.

Each year, Henderson works about 20 high school and college football games, and just as many wrestling duels and tournaments with the majority in North Dakota, although he's worked in South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana. Typically, Henderson gets paid per game as well as mileage for his travels, with the going rate for a high school football game at $50, and a college game at $85.

But it's not about money. The friendships he's gained have ranked high.

"I've met some outstanding people - coaches, fellow officials friends who will be friends for a lifetime. That's really kind of neat. It's quite an amazing circle. You go to a tournament and end up talking to people all the time."

Henderson is no slouch when it comes to officiating and has been chosento work a number of state high school wrestling tournaments, football championships and even a national college wrestling tourney. Henderson recalled the latter and the rush he got when he officiated a championship match.

"They turn off the lights, and have a spotlight on the mat, which is three feet off the ground," said Henderson. "I'm out there with two heavyweights. The mat doesn't seem big enough for me. When one of them finally got a takedown, I had so much adrenaline in me, it seemed like I was off the ground forever."

Physical and mental preparation are key in becoming a respected sports official. For Henderson, that means running about 35 miles per week to stay in top physical condition. And he maintains his smarts by attending annual rules clinics. He also turns to fellow zebras. While on road trips traveling to games with four- or six-member football crews, Henderson and the others will talk non-stop about rules.

"You need to spend time studying the rule book and get time on the field," said Henderson. "We're just like athletes. As the season progresses, athletes get sharper and better. So do officials. You need to be working at least every week because when each year comes around, you have to get the rust off."

Stress is a common element associated with being a sports official.

Although razzing from the crowds, coaches and players are a given, Henderson said that little affects him. He becomes a Teflon man when it comes to criticism, which rolls right off. He treats compliments the same way, because fickle fans can always turn on a referee.

"I am relaxed and very comfortable out there. It's less stressful officiating than competing. I get the most stressed watching my younger brothers play than anything else," he said.

Quick decisions are another part of being a sports official as the fastpaced action of a football game or wrestling match always calls for instinctive thinking. Henderson noted that if there weren't tough calls, there would be no need to have an official.

"Weird things happen on punts," said Henderson. "A ball is fumbled and you wonder who touched it. How many times do you watch a game and see a penalty on a punt, where bodies are flying, and everything is going fast?"