Tony Costello selected to officiate Boys Basketball State Finals

Tony Costello of Portland was recently assigned to officiate an MHSAA boys’ basketball state championship game at MSU’s Breslin Center.

Costello has been officiating high school basketball for 33 years. He also is also a registered official for high school softball and football. In football he serves as a crew chief for the Capital Area Officials Association (CAOA).

When asked what he enjoys about being an official, Costello told the Beacon, “I love sports. I played baseball, basketball and football in high school and wanted to stay involved with it. It's also a good way to exercise too.”

Costello find pleasure in each of the sports. He said, “I like them all because they offer different challenges. Football is fun due to the comradery of having a crew that works together all year and the intensity involved in the game. Basketball is the most challenging due to the speed and hundreds of decisions you make every game, but is really rewarding when you do a good job. Softball is a great game when you get two good teams competing at a high level.”

Assignment to an MHSAA state championship contest is no easy feat for an official. Costello described the process saying, “Coaches rate us after every game and then official's associations and assignors will recommend people. It's a combination of all three. You get assigned a semifinal first then get a final the following year if you do a good job with the semifinal.”

As Michigan and states across the country struggle with a shortage of officials, we asked Costello what

advice he would have for someone interested in becoming an official. He said, “Talk to someone you know that officiates or go to MHSAA.com and look for an official's association near you. The CAOA, Officials for Kids and All-Stars are three local associations I belong to. It's a great way to make extra money and to stay involved in sports.”

Costello added, “I've been very fortunate to be chosen to work state finals in softball and basketball. I've also worked really hard for years training to get to this level. I had so many people support me and mentor me along the way and I appreciate all of them. It's been rewarding to work with so many good officials, athletic directors, coaches and players.”

Courtesy photos.