WESTWOOD, Mass. - The NEWMAC is celebrating Officials Appreciation Week  along with all other Division III and Division II conferences throughout the 2023-2024 academic year. This year marks the second year of this initiative adopted by the Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA) to recognize and thank conference officials across all sports.

Over the course of the week, the NEWMAC will spotlight several of its long time fall officials. Today we put the spotlight on volleyball official Carole Burke. 

Institution Attended:  Bridgewater State

College Sport(s) Played (if applicable):  Volleyball 

How long have you been officiating?  
47 Years

Where/how did you get your start as an official?  
My high school coach, who was a fairly new official herself, talked the 6 seniors on the team into attending the training sessions to become certified. 

Why did you decide to become an official?  
A bunch of friends were doing it.  It was a lot of fun to do it together.   I stuck with it because I felt it kept me in the game. 

What do you enjoy about being an official in the NEWMAC?  
The NEWMAC is a competitive D3 conference.  Several NEWMAC teams are selected to the regionals every year. Often one of them wins the regional and goes on to play in the championships. 

What would you tell someone who is considering officiating?  
It’s a great way to be a part of the game. And there is a lot of comradery among volleyball officials. I have lifetime friends as a result.  And it’s good part time income. 

What other work do you do outside of officiating?
I am a Tax Professional. 

About the NEWMAC

The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with four Associate Members: Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), while sponsoring 20 sports.