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Referee Harris 'living the dream'
Chances are, if you run into or enter into a conversation with Nate Harris, he's going to tell you that he's "living the dream."
To be more specific, he's living his dream, the dream that he's had ever since he was a Quincy High School student - to be a big-time basketball official.
Harris' dream took another step toward reality recently when he was informed that he will work several West Coast Conference men's basketball games this winter.
"I'm very excited and looking forward to the opportunity," he said. "But the work really begins now."
Harris, a 2003 QHS graduate, lives in Spokane and has spent the last several years reffing games in several collegiate conferences, including the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges; the Frontier Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics; the Cascade Collegiate Conference of the NAIA; and the Scenic West Athletic Conference of the National Junior College Athletic Association.
Harris said the West Coast Conference, which of course has been dominated in men's basketball by Gonzaga University for the last decade-plus, invited him to its 'referee camp,' liked his work and hired him.
"You go to camps and hope to get noticed," he said. "And then you get invited to their camp if you get on the radar. I guess I got noticed."
Harris doesn't know what games he'll be doing for the WCC quite yet.
"I'm not sure," he said. "I think (I'll go to) Portland for a weekend tournament, probably two games in that, and then maybe Gonzaga for an exhibition or an early preseason (contest). I'm not sure till the schedule comes out."
Harris will also continue to work games in other conferences to build his resume.
"It's a slow process (to work your way up)," he said. "I'll just work two or three (WCC) games my first year and then hope to improve the schedule. (I'll be doing games in other conferences) for a while until I can add a couple more D-1 conferences, I hope."
Harris began his officiating career when he was a QHS student, reffing C-squad basketball games that were played by students not much older than he was at the time. He also umpired high school baseball games and continued to officiate both sports as he attended Washington State University.
Last February, he officiated the 4A state championship boys' basketball game at the Tacoma Dome between Kentwood and Jackson.
Harris' father, Tom, who works for the Quincy School District, is also a local sports official. Recently, Tom was named as the state's Umpire of the Year by the Washington Officials Association. He will be given the award next Saturday in Yakima.
Contact Doug Flanagan at reporter@qvpr.com or through Facebook:
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