“ HE ’ S MY GO-TO PERSON IF I EVER NEED ANYTHING AND SOMETIMES , I ’ M [ COMFORTED ] KNOWING IGET TO SEEMYDADATTHE ENDOFTHEDAY . IT ’ S DEFINITELY NICE AND MEANINGFUL .” |
Track officials and former coaches Darren Ressler and daughter Jill Ruebenacker |
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Jill Ruebenacker daughter and track official |
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COURTESY OF THE RESSLER FAMILY |
THE RESSLERS
OAKLAND
For years , runners and throwers across North Jersey may have witnessed an unusual occurrence .
Yes , those really were two track officials hugging one another .
“ The kids don ’ t have any idea ,” Darren Ressler says . “ If Igoover and giveher ahug , they are probably like , ‘ What ’ s this dirty old man doing to thisother official ?”
“ We don ’ t always do the same event , but when the meet is over , Iwill say goodbye or give him akiss and I ’ m sure the high school kids are like , ‘ What was that ?’” says Jill Ruebenacker .
Ruebenacker , nee Ressler , and her father Darren are North Jersey ’ s only current father-daughter track officials . Jill is the middle of three children , with Brett Ressler being the head football coach at Mendham High School .
The officials are the people at events usually clad in the same bright red polo shirts
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with their big New Jersey emblem on their chests , or the yellow slicker incase of rain , or well , um , sometimes the finish line at events can get a little messy .
Darren was a track coach at Saddle Brook and Hackensack and was named coach of the year four timesduring his tenure . He got connected to officiating when his teaching position dried up and he was looking to make some extracash .
Jill ran track at Hackensackand later at the University of Findlay in Ohio . She was a 400 runner and an intermediate hurdler . When she would come home from school , she ’ d catch on as atrack official if Darren had ameet . It was easy money .
“ Even when Iwas little and he coached in Saddle Brook , I remember going in the car with our bagsofcereal and we would sit on the high jumppit , or run the halls with other kids if the weather was bad ,” says Jill , ateacher at the Wyckoff YMCA .
The duo usually carpool together to meets with other officials , although Jill says they don ’ tusuallylet her drive when it ’ san
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event in New YorkCity . The Resslers usually staff different events at meets . Darren gets a bullhorn and marshals runners to the starting line ( he likes being loud ). Jill usually works the jumps , measuring distances , making sure the right kids goat the right time .
The ride back home is usually full of track talk .
“ We talk about the eventsand who put up the best performances and it ’ s not just about the kids ,” Darren says . “ We talk about the coaches and what coaches might have said something .”
Both say the job is rewarding . For Darren it keeps him connected to the track community he ’ s been apart of for decades . Jill enjoys seeing the kids progress . Yes , even the officials have eyes and subtle rooting interests .
And it ’ s nice to have some father-daughter time .
“ He ’ s my go-to person if Ieverneed anything ,” Jill says . “ And sometimes , I ’ m [ comforted ] knowing Iget to see my dad at the end of the day . It ’ s definitely nice and meaningful .” ●
– DARRENCOOPER
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