DOVER — As a basketball referee, Sue Leonard is happy when nobody notices that she is even on the floor. But on May 21 at the Modern Maturity Center in Dover, Leonard eschewed her stripes and whistle and was one of the centers of attention for dedicating more than five decades of her life to the children of the Diocese of Wilmington.
Leonard received the Coach Jim Blunt Memorial Award at the annual Catholic Youth Ministry recognition dinner. Named after the late former CYM coach who spent 35 years coaching track and other sports, the award recognizes individuals who “help promote those Christian values and help provide a safe environment for our children.”
Leonard, 72, was humbled to receive the award named in memory of Blunt, whom she knew very well and admired greatly. He died in 2007 at just 52 years old.
“’JB’ was just an absolute godsend,” Leonard said. “He was a mentor to many, many, many kids. As a matter of fact, he got my youngest son into deejaying because he had a deejay business himself. He just wanted to teach the kids, and that’s what I’m about, teaching the kids, giving them a stable place to play, and giving the families a stable environment.”
Leonard first picked up a whistle in the late 1960s, beginning as a referee when she was 15 years old and a student at St. Hedwig High School. She referees to this day. Dan Pin, the director of the Office of Catholic Youth and Young Adult Ministry, said Leonard’s easygoing disposition is a blessing to everyone when she walks into a gymnasium to officiate.
“Sue’s interpersonal skills inspire and motivate others to work effectively together with the common goal of providing a fair, fun and safe environment for all athletes. She is patient and maintains her composure when handling challenging situations, with the ability to facilitate resolutions,” Pin said.
Her work with CYM athletics is not confined to officiating games herself. She has trained many referees herself. She formerly coached softball and basketball at St. Helena Parish, where she has been a member her entire life except for eight months after getting married. She is the coordinator of girls and boys volleyball, girls basketball and softball, which includes creating and managing the schedules for all of those sports, often at her kitchen table, Pin said.
Leonard said she started as a referee because she loves kids and helping them out. She never did any of this work for recognition.
“I figured that was the best way to get involved,” she said. “It’s about helping the kids, giving them a stable environment to play in with the good Catholic background that we have. That’s what keeps me going.
“As long as they let me, I’m going to keep on going,” she said.
