Officiating Appreciation Week

Help us celebrate all of our dedicated officials with Officiating Appreciation Week! We applaud these hard-working individuals whose passion, fair calls and selfless service make our sport better. Read on to meet some of the best of the best from Saginaw, Michigan.

Garber Courts celebrated its grand re-opening June 10, 2022 after a $2.2M renovation, which payed for championship-style pickleball and tennis courts, brand new lighting, and the construction of a whole new building complete with a pro shop.

The re-opening celebration included exhibition matches with six USTA Northeastern Michigan officials taking on roles such as line and chair umpires.

“The grand opening was one of the first big tennis events in Saginaw. That was probably the first time some community members had seen a tennis match, let alone officials. I wanted everyone to walk away from that event thinking, I want to be a part of that,” said Connor Nowosatka, the District Chair of Officials for USTA Northeastern Michigan.

The six officials came from near and far. “I had somebody drive from Sandusky, Ohio just to help out with the event.” Officials like Doug Rice who received a 2021 USTA Umpire Award and Darrell Davies who has served as Head Referee for the Boys 16s and 18s National Championships in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

“Participating in the courts’ re-opening demonstrated what we do as officials, but it also showed us doing what we’re supposed to do, be a friend on court,” said Nowosatka. “Our rulebook states, officials are role models for our community and that is what we want to showcase. You know, this isn’t my career but it’s something I really enjoy doing and that’s the same with the rest of my officials.”