Kyle and Mark Reischling at the 2003 Men's
Pac-10 Tournament at Staples Arena in Los Angeles.
Photo courtesy of Kyle Reischling |
Father and Son Call the Shots
Lisa Kirk, Public Affairs and Publications
Here's a father-son combo with a sports twist: Dad calls the shots
on the court; his son calls the shots behind the camera. Mark Reischling
(B.A., Physical Education, '69) has been a Division I basketball
referee since 1976. His son, Kyle (B.S., Instructional Technology,
'95), is a producer at Fox Sports Net.
Mark and Kyle Reischling have crossed paths professionally many
times, including at the 2003 Men's Pac-10 Tournament at Staples
Arena in Los Angeles. Mark refereed the UCLA-Oregon State University
matchup; Kyle produced the nationally televised game.
"Working the Pac-10 Tournament this year while my dad was
officiating was very special," says Kyle. "The best
day watching my father call a game, however, was at the 2001 NCAA
Final Four in Minneapolis. The Final Four is the pinnacle of an
official's career. To be there with my mother and brother and 45,000
screaming fans was tremendous."
Mark says, "Working with Kyle has been thrilling for me."
Just like a proud father, he mentions Kyle's two Los Angeles Area
Emmy Awards and his ability to bring out the best in his crew.
Kyle is equally proud of his father. "To stand out there
taking heat from thousands of people cannot be fun," notes
Kyle. "It takes guts to constantly put yourself in that situation."
Mark played basketball for the Wildcats in 1967 and 1968; he got
his start in officiating working for the Chico Area Recreation Department.
In addition to being a referee, he is now a high school teacher
and golf coach in Petaluma, California. His wife, Terri, is also
an alum (B.A., Social Science, '70); she teaches fourth grade in
Petaluma.
"I'm known around the circuit as 'Kyle's dad,'" says
Mark, "which is the best nickname I could want."
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