As we cheered for the Lady Indians, we were dripping with sweat. Everyone in the stands at last Saturday’s BHS vs. George Washington girls’ soccer game huddled under the pop-up tents desperate for some shade. Each time we made contact, we apologized for the sweaty encounter. We drank our water and fought over my 8-year-old great-niece’s water mist spray fan, feeling a little sorry for ourselves. But then we snapped into reality: We are only sitting there. We could only imagine how hot the players were – and the officials.

 

Wait.

 

One looked familiar - and he wasn’t a he. It was Bridgeport’s own Tana Rhine. Yes. She’s a soccer mom, but who knew she officiated? Some in the stands did. I didn’t.

 

This season marks the start of Tana’s second season officiating for both USSF and WVSSAC. Of the Rhines’ four boys, two played soccer. At one time, Tana did too. She grew up in Longview, Texas, playing soccer until she reached middle school age. Although many things are big in Texas, soccer wasn’t.

 

“I had to play on boys’ teams because there weren’t enough girls to form a team,” she said. “When they finally got enough girls to form a team, I quit because the competitive level was lame and the girls’ team would have had to travel to different communities just to play. It would have been travel soccer before it was cool and common.”

 

The real reason Tana – a “work at home mom” and former behavioral health technician at United Summit Center - got into officiating was “a transition plan.” A self-professed sports fanatic, she has had ample opportunity to get her fix over the past couple of decades as her boys Zachary (23), Joshua (22), Nathan (20) and Noah (17) have been involved in a myriad of sports including soccer, baseball, cross country, basketball, lacrosse and wrestling.

 

But that will come to a halt as youngest son Noah will soon will move beyond his high school years. In an effort to stay physically active, meet new people in the area and stay involved in the community, she sought and fulfilled requirements to become certified as a soccer official. She had to take classes and pass exams for each grade level and she is required to recertify each year. She also watches training videos and has to meet the minimum number of matches required as an official.

 

Through her USSF grade 7 certification, Tana is certified to officiate in any age group, including adult leagues. Her WVSSAC certification enables her to officiate on both the high school and middle school level. She also works with several different area recreational and travel leagues.

 

Tana said most of the time, she really enjoys officiating and feels like what she’s doing helps out and makes a difference. The majority of coaches and fans are respectful and encouraging; yet there are always a few “bad apples,” she said.

 

“If everyone remembers their role, it is in the best interest of the players which is who the game should be about,” Tana said. “Let officials officiate, coaches coach and fans positively support and cheer for their team and its players.”

 

It’s harder than it looks – and the perspective is so very different from the field than in the stands, Tana said.

 

While we were stationary and complaining about the heat, Tana ran several miles – back and forth – on the turf. Her Fitbit tracked seven miles for the day with most of the mileage accumulating during the game.

 

As girls were the minority in Texas’s soccer players back in the day, women are the minority in soccer officiating. Among the area's 48 WVSSAC soccer officials, only five are women. That is eight percent for this year, which is higher than the overall percentage of five percent

 

For everyone in the stands, the game ended a little anticlimactically – in a 1-1 tie. But GW was a very good team, so we congratulated the girls on a game well played.

 

But Tana said the highlight of her game was different.

 

“The mister between the player benches was the bomb!” she said.

 

Tana is the wife of Tom Rhine, well known in the area for his running and cycling efforts. 

Julie Perine can be reached at 304-848-7200, julie@connect-bridgeport.com or follow @JuliePerine on Twitter. More "It's Happening" HERE.