Ken Buchanan honored
A desire to give back to the sport he loved led Ken Buchanan to officiating high school football.
Now getting ready to start his 38th season as an official, Buchanan was recently voted the East Tennessee CAREacter Star Official of the Year, an award voted on by other high school football officials and head football coaches from across East Tennessee as well as members of the CAREacter Star CARE Team (board of directors of the CAREacter Star Athlete Program), said Dave Moore, founder and director of the CAREacter Star Athlete Program.
“There are a lot of good officials out there and to single me out as official of the year, I was humbled and very honored,” Buchanan said.
Moore pointed out that Buchanan has provided all of the officials for the CAREacter Star Community Service game, a game or series of games played at the end of the season at Grace Christian Academy. The purpose of the game is to raise money for a worthy cause, such as to help pay medical expenses for a child who is suffering from cancer.
“Mr. Buchanan head that up every year, all of the officials and himself, to call all of the games free of charge. Last year, we had eight high schools playing four games. They [officials] did all of that for free. That alone speaks volumes for his character,” Moore said.
Now approaching a fourth decade in officiating, how did Buchanan become an official?
“I’ve always been a sports nut. Like most people in the stands, I thought I knew more about rules and believed I could do a better job of officiating than those I watched on the field. So I found out who to contact and decided to join what was then known as the Oak Ridge Football Officials Association [later the Clinch Valley Football Officials Association] in the fall of 1980. When I attended my first ORFOA meeting I immediately found out that I knew virtually nothing about football rules and the mechanics of officiating. I was like I'd become a first grader all over again. My education in officiating had begun,” he said.
One of the officials who influenced him and had an impact on him as a young official was Jim Shoemaker.
“He taught me the right way to officiate. He was influential in encouraging me to enforce and know the rules. I studied the rules and mechanics, worked as many lower level games as I could, and after a few years was deemed qualified by my peers to work at the varsity level. I progressed as rapidly as I could and through the years have worked several playoff games, multiple quarter-final and semi-final games and have had the privilege to work three state championship games,”
For several years the Clinch Valley Football Officials Association asked TSSAA to have a second supervisor. In 2008, the TSSAA agreed to allow a second supervisor for the CVFOA.
“My name was sent to the state office as the person CVFOA members wanted as their second Supervisor. A short time later I received a letter from the TSSAA stating that I had been selected to fill that spot,” he said.
Buchanan said it was not an easy decision to accept the position of supervisor because he did not feel qualified and it meant he would be required to step off the field as an active official.
“I wasn't sure I was ready to do that. I truly loved being part of the action on Friday nights. However, I decided to make the move and as it turned out, it was a blessing in disguise. A short time later I experienced a heart attack and learned I also had COPD. But since I was now a supervisor I was able to stay in the game,” he said.
In 2011, Dale Condra, who was then the lead supervisor, decided to step down to pursue other interests.
“I suddenly found myself with the task of being not only the lead supervisor but also the assigning officer. Like a new swimmer I thrashed around trying to keep my head above water but finally found my stroke and learned the in's and out's of the position well enough to make the transition,” he said.
It is a tough task. The CVFOA covers 16 high schools and even more middle schools. And while Jim Stooksbury assigns middle school officials, Buchanan said he has his hands full making sure the high school games are covered.
As he gets ready to start the new season he noted he has a two-fold responsibility. First is collecting schedules of all of the schools and secondly is recruiting new officials.
“That’s something that’s been very difficult to do in years past. I don’t know why it is but some of the younger guys who are graduating from high school or college don’t seem to have the interest in getting into officiating. I don’t know if it’s because they one time stood on the sideline and heard the abuse hurled at the officials but it’s very difficult to get this younger generation involved in not just football but all other sports as well,” Buchanan said.
“It takes a certain type person who is willing to tolerate the abuse that comes from the stands. You become calloused. You learn not to listen to that stuff. If you take the field, have studied the rules, and are confident in what you do, the comments that come from the other side of the fence are comical,” he said.
“Know what you’re doing and try to do the right thing — that’s all that matters. Enforce the rules and give both teams a level playing field and that’s your job.”
A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Buchanan is a native of Ohio who moved to East Tennessee in 1975. After living in Oak Ridge for a year, Buchanan moved to Clinton in 1976, where he has lived since. He also continues to umpire high school softball and has for a total of 10 years. He took a couple of years off due to a scheduling conflict with his job but has since returned to the diamond.
“I've learned a lot over the years but the most important thing I’ve learned is that there is always more to learn. You will never know it all,” he said.
Moore said Buchanan will be recognized on the field and awarded his plaque for the honor prior to a Clinton High School home game this season.
Others recognized for East Tennessee honors include:
• Eddie Courtney, head football coach, Farragut High School, East Tennessee CAREacter Star Head Coach of the Year
• Gregg Bostick, Grace Christian Academy, Director of Football Operations, East Tennessee CAREacter Star Support
• Peggy Bratt, Head Athletic Trainer, Alcoa High School, East Tennessee CAREacter Star Trainer
• Winston Russell, Oak Ridge High School, East Tennessee CAREacter Star Assistant Football Coach of the Year
In 1990, Russell was inducted into the Oak Ridge Sports Hall of Fame. He retired from teaching in 2007 and will start his 52nd year of coaching this fall.
Moore said this is the inaugural year for the East Tennessee awards and similar awards will be presented after the next high school basketball season.
Moore, who spent a combined 22 years as a head football coach at Sunbright, Knoxville Catholic, and Lenoir City High Schools, also spent five years as an assistant football coach at Clinton High School in the 1970s.
He founded the CAREacter Star Athlete Program working with former University of Tennessee Head Football Coach Phillip Fulmer and the legendary former head coach of the Lady Vols, Pat Summit.
Today, he carries on the tradition with Butch Jones and Holly Warlick, naming a CAREacter Star athlete for UT as well as high schools across East Tennessee and the nation each week.
The CAREacter Star Athlete Program is based on a five-point Star System that includes the basic traits of a true champion, whether on or off the field. Those traits are attitude, character, grades, community service and performance.
Every week coaches from schools across the country select one student from each specific sport as their school’s “Star Athlete of the Week” based on our five-point system and criteria.
As a reward for their accomplishments, these students will be recognized each week by their local media and presented with a T-shirt and a letter acknowledging them as their county’s “Star Athlete of the Week.”
CAREacter awards go beyond athletics.
“In the world of athletics today, more emphasis is placed on the spirit of competition, rivalries and winning and less on the important traits of character, values and leadership. As coaches and leaders, it is our responsibility to encourage our student athletes to succeed not only at the athletic skill level, but more importantly, at the game of life,” said Moore.