![\"Steve](\"http:\/\/blog.wabash.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2015\/02\/ganson-shoot-jf_020315_0001_crop.jpg\")
<\/a>He started under Rusty Nicholls doing the things managers usually do. Halfway through that 1969-70 campaign, he was promoted when the two senior managers quit. For the next three seasons he went to practices, kept statistics at games and hosted officials.<\/p>\n
In his senior year, Snowy Simpson took over, and during a Saturday morning practice the new head coach instructed Ganson to go downstairs and get a striped shirt and a whistle. He was going to referee the scrimmage.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you talking about,\u201d Ganson asked? \u201cI\u2019ve never done that before.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, in an hour you are never going to be able to make that statement again,\u201d Simpson replied.<\/p>\n
That first scrimmage must have been a player\u2019s dream, as Ganson claims to have only called three-second violations. No fouls. No traveling. Nothing else.<\/p>\n
Three days later another scrimmage was scheduled. Go get your whistle. \u201cAnd I was hooked,\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0he said.<\/p>\n
Ganson started refereeing intramurals that spring and upon moving to Arizona after graduation became involved in city league basketball and softball.<\/p>\n
Eventually, he found his way to Tucson where he got involved in high school officiating and completed his 38th season as a high school basketball referee on Feb. 4.<\/p>\n
Along the way, he added volleyball to his duties, and for the past 13 years has served as the Arizona Interscholastic Association commissioner of officials for Southern Arizona. All told, he supervises 66 schools and a total of 400 officials for the school year in volleyball, basketball and baseball.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt happened because I was lazy and I didn\u2019t want to take P.E.,\u201d Ganson said. \u201cThat\u2019s what got me in and I\u2019m still active today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fellow Wabash man Pat Weber \u201976, the athletic director at Tucson\u2019s Flowing Wells High School, says that the job can be demanding. Not only is Ganson responsible for assigning officials for every single athletic activity in Southern Arizona, he\u2019s also the go-to guy for rules interpretations for those three sports.<\/p>\n
Needless to say, it can become time consuming with weekly meetings, clarifications, even the weather.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s excellent in terms of organization and communication,\u201d said Weber. \u201cVery effective in both areas. It\u2019s quite demanding and he\u2019s done an absolutely great job in that role.\u201d<\/p>\n
After enjoying his place in the game for the last 42 seasons, Ganson retired from basketball officiating with his final game this season. Though he still loves the game, the experience gained over the last four decades told him it was time to hang up the whistle.<\/p>\n
\u201cI figured out that each year I get older, but the players stay the same age, and I can\u2019t quite keep up with them as I would like,\u201d Ganson said. \u201cPlus, I get to go out on my own terms.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re never sure how retirement will feel until it\u2019s really over, and that probably will hit next season,\u201d he continued. \u201cBut I can\u2019t give thanks enough to that Wabash P.E. requirement in 1969.\u201d<\/p>\n
For some time, Ganson has described his life as one with three part-time jobs: the scheduling and administrative duties, which he will continue to oversee post-retirement, officiating, and his business. When he isn\u2019t dealing in officiating, Ganson is the owner of Arizona Imprintables, a promotional product company \u2013 \u201cwe do stuff with your name on it,\u201d he says \u2013 with more than 800,000 items on its web site.<\/p>\n
Sure, supply, demand and the whims of the economy can make things tough on the Cincinnati native who majored in economics, but there is a lot of creativity that goes into making a lasting impression for clients.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is quite a bit of creativity in my business,\u201d Ganson said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s one of the things I tell prospective clients. Just give us an idea of what you might be looking for and let us try to find something unique for your business. We take pride in coming up with something memorable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wabash certainly gave him something memorable in exchange for his education. Not only was he involved in athletics as a manager, but he is also a proud alumnus of the Glee Club.<\/p>\n