Former Official in League of Her Own
September 26, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Retired MHSAA official Dolly Konwinski – previously a player in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League who consulted on the 1992 film “A League of Their Own” – died Saturday at the age of 87.
Konwinski umpired both baseball and softball as an MHSAA registered official for more than a dozen years into the 1990s. She brought to the diamond playing experience from the AAGPBL; she played for four teams between 1948-52, including most of three seasons with the Grand Rapids Chicks.
The AAGPBL has been honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., and Konwinski consulted on and made a brief appearance in “A League of Their Own,” which was nominated for Grammy and Golden Globe awards.
She most recently lived in Caledonia and is survived by her husband of 63 years Robert and four children, plus many grandchildren and extended family.
Click for recent Grand Rapids Press coverage of her death. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Kentwood. Click for her obituary.
The feature below, reported by Rick Berkey, aired as part of the coverage of the 1990 MHSAA Girls Basketball Finals on PASS Sports.
Be the Referee: Tourney Selection
By
Brent Rice
MHSAA Assistant Director
November 18, 2021
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment – Tourney Selection - Listen
Today we are going to talk about how officials are selected for the MHSAA Football Playoffs. Just as the best teams advance in the tournament week after week, the best officiating crews advance in the tournament in much the same way.
For a crew to be eligible for assignment, many requirements have to be met prior to the season – submission of their season schedule, making sure that the crew has completed the annual rules meeting, as well as a football rules test. Much weight is given to ratings – each crew is rated by schools following each game as well as observation reports where officiating experts go out and either watch crews work live or on video in making sure that the best crews advance throughout the tournament.
Previous editions
Nov. 4: Receiver Carried Out of End Zone – Listen
Oct. 28: Volleyball Back-Row Block – Listen
Oct. 21: Soccer Disallowed Goal – Listen
Sept 30: Field Goal Falls Short – Listen
Sept. 23: Volleyball Obstruction – Listen
Sept. 16: Catch or No Catch – Listen
Sept. 9: Intentional Grounding – Listen
Sept. 2: Pass Interference – Listen
Aug. 26: Protocols and Mechanics – Listen