Treasure Coast Newspapers, Stuart, Fla., Russ Lemmon column

April 25--VERO BEACH -- After more than 60 years in the game(s), Jim Thompson has decided to give up sports officiating.

Well, make that four of the five sports -- baseball, basketball, football and softball.

Is he giving up volleyball too?

"I'm still deciding," he said.

If he doesn't do volleyball this fall, let the record show the final sporting event he officiated was a middle-school softball game in Vero Beach. It was played in March.

"What were the schools? Where was it played?" I asked, for posterity's sake.

Thompson said he couldn't recall.

"When you're officiating, you don't know who's playing," he said.

Thompson, 82, said it's time to walk away.

"It's not fun anymore," he said.

Why is that?

"I've outlived all my friends," he said.

Seconds later, he mentioned another reason:

"I don't want to embarrass myself."

Lenny Jankowski, the head football coach at Vero Beach High School, still was a high school athlete when he first crossed paths with Thompson.

"Mr. Thompson has officiated since I played," said Jankowski, who attended Fort Pierce Central and John Carroll. "I was always very fond of him."

I thought it was neat Jankowski, 42, referred to him as "Mr. Thompson." It says a lot about his level of respect.

Jankowski doubts I could find anyone who had a bad word to say about Thompson.

Thompson said he rarely got into heated arguments during athletic contests.

"I expected to be approached like a gentleman, and I approached them the same way," he said.

Not surprising, when you consider Thompson owns a Vero Beach insurance agency (Buckingham Wheeler) and was active in the Army Reserve for 30 years.

Thompson, who started umpiring Little League games in 1952, was inducted into the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1994 and the National High School Sports Hall of Fame in '96.

"I had a good run," he said.

Jeff Steinman, former baseball coach at Vero Beach High, gave Thompson a tip of the cap.

"I thought he was an outstanding umpire," Steinman said. "His longevity was unbelievable. What he has given to high school sports is truly amazing."

Thompson fractured one of his knees when he was hit in a football game in 2001. Eventually, the knee problems forced him to give up officiating basketball in 2009.

When asked about his most memorable games, Thompson mentioned two from the 1970s -- a spring training game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves (he got the call because the major league umpires were on strike), and a seven-overtime basketball game in the state boys basketball tournament in Jacksonville.

Thompson said he is somewhat bothered by the "new breed" of officials.

"They don't want to do what it takes to become a really good official," he said.

That is, they aren't willing to pay their dues, so to speak, by doing junior varsity games and the like.

"They want to do the big game right now," Thompson said.

Yes, Thompson is a big believer in paying your dues.

His first high school game? Back in 1953, he drove from Vero Beach to Lake Worth to referee a junior varsity game.

"You have to love the sport," he said.

He does, and always will.

Russ Lemmon is a columnist for Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers. This column reflects his opinion. Contact him at 772-978-2205 or [email protected].

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