Document text
Love of wrestling keeps Scott on mat By Don Hunt John Scott headed off to Fargo, N.D., last Thursday to officiate at the cadet and junior national wrestling tournaments. He�ll be reimbursed for his travel, lodging and meals, but won�t get paid a dime for his time on the mat during the event which concludes Saturday. It�s all about being an official with USA Wrestling, the national wrestling federation that operates meets ranging from the junior nationals to the Olympic Trials. And yes, Scott and his ilk � more than 20,000 strong � do it for the love of the sport and nothing more. "We�re one of the largest volunteer organizations in the world," Scott, 45, says. "I wrestled for 18 years and what I�m doing now is repaying all the guys who did this for me. I�m still in the repayment mode." Scott, who lives in Eagle Point, is also the director of mat officials in Oregon. That task mostly entails recruiting new officials. "Oregon has always been a hotbed of wrestling and it�s vital that we have our share of representation, as far as the officials go," Scott says. "That�s my big plug when I go around the state and do my clinics. "Wrestling is like any sport � there�s a political aspect to it � and we need to have our share of guys out there officiating. It�s not easy finding guys who will do it for free." Scott, who was born in Oregon City and grew up with five brothers and one sister, began officiating when he was 19 and competing for the University of Oregon. A knee injury left him unable to compete his freshman year but he used the time to go to the national Greco Roman tournament and learn the international style of wrestling. He attended clinics and got his license from the Amateur Athletic Union, which at that time governed the sport nationally. Scott lost his credentials when USA Wrestling took over, but worked high school and college matches for many years before reacquiring his national license four years ago. Unlike high school and college matches, national freestyle and Greco Roman bouts use three officials � one to officiate, one to verify the scoring and one who sits at a head table "to make sure the other two don�t screw up," Scott says. Scott recently worked an Olympic Trials regional meet in Corvallis and was on the mat in Las Vegas in April when South Medford High coach Ken Wharry won a national masters title and earned a trip to Germany for the world meet. Like any official, he has taken his share of verbal abuse from coaches and fans. "Most of the officials have themselves wrestled and they know the emotional aspects of wrestling," Scott says. "In a real heated situation a good official will make the call no matter what. And what the coach or the fans think is irrelevant. "I�ve always liked being right there with the action." Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA