Lincolnite Kirby Rodgers honored

[February 15, 2018] 

LINCOLN

For the next two weekends, Lincolnite Kirby Rodgers will be very busy being involved in something he absolutely loves. Rodgers will travel to Champaign this weekend, and Bloomington on the following weekend to be a referee for the Illinois State Wrestling meet.

Rodgers was selected as a referee for the state finals, reffing for the individual matchups February 15-17, and the dual team meet on Feb 24th. There are 480 referees across the country and only 36 are selected to do the state finals. It is quite an honor for Rodgers to be chosen.

Rodgers has had a lifetime of involvement with wrestling (the sport, not the entertainment). “Wrestling put me through college and developed me as person. I always enjoy working with kids and coaches and have established some lifelong friendships,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers graduated from Charleston HS in 1969. Charleston high school did not have a wrestling program at that time, so he walked onto the Eastern Illinois University wrestling mat in the summer of 1969, not ever having wrestled even one time. Under the coaching of Illinois Hall of Fame Harold “Hop” Pinther, Rodgers was the 11th man on the 10 man EIU team his freshman year. He was the second string 190, 177 and 167 pounder. He lettered four years at EIU with his career ending with a trip to the nationals at Brookings, South Dakota.

Rodgers graduated from EIU in 1973. Beginning in the 1974-5 school year, he was hired as a Jr. High Geography teacher and an assistant wrestling coach at Challand Junior High School in Sterling, Illinois. He coached in Sterling for nine years at the junior and senior high levels with Illinois Hall of Fame coach Carson DeJarnatt. Together they also coached summer wrestling through the Sterling Park District.

While at Sterling, Rodgers continued to officiate and worked with Illinois Hall of Fame referees Tony Licocci from Rock Falls and Don Kekeel of Sterling. In 1986 Rodgers moved to Dixon to begin his administrative career as a Dean of Students. In 1993 he moved to Sullivan, IL as a Middle School Principal and again in 1995 to Edinburg to become a K-12 Superintendent. In 1999 he moved to Midland as a K-12 Superintendent and in 2005 moved to Lincoln for a K-Eighth Grade Superintendent where he retired in 2008.

Throughout Rodgers’ career he has coached numerous Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation (IKWF) state place winners and one State Champion. He has coached park district wrestlers who have grown up to be IKWF, IESA and IHSA State Champions. He has officiated over 15 IKWF State Tournaments, three IESA State Tournaments, five IHSA State Tournaments, three National Tournaments for Blind Wrestlers and collegiate wrestling for EIU and Millikin University.

For four years Rodgers has been the IKWF Administrative Assistant for Officials. In 2016 he was awarded the Gold Medallion Award for over 40 years of service from the IWCOA.

In 2016 he was appointed as a Clinician for IHSA. In March of 2017 he was inducted into the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Hall of Fame.

Rodgers earned his referee license through a wrestling coaching class at EIU with the final exam being the IHSA test. He refereed his first match at an IKWF Regional in the Mattoon National Guard Armory in1972 under Mattoon kids coach and referee John Bonic. Hall of Fame referee Renny Garshelis also was instrumental in getting time on the mat for younger officials in the area of Charleston and Mattoon.

“Being a referee keeps me active all winter long. I normally work 50-60 dates between high school, junior high and kids clubs from Rockford to Danville and Chatham to Quincy. Last year I drove over 5,000 miles across the state, seeing some of the best competition statewide,” said Rodgers. While residing in central Illinois, Rodgers met and officiated with another Illinois Hall of Fame Referee, Dan Fulscher.

“Recently, I also became an assistant coach this year to Alex Dawson and the District 27 Junior High program. At 66 years of age I still have plenty to share with today’s youth,” said Rodgers.

The 2017-8 season will year mark Rodgers’ 47th year as a wrestling official.

Kirby Rodgers resides in Lincoln with his wife Barbara. They have three grown daughters and three granddaughters. He enjoys golf and tennis. He has been retired from Public School Education for 10 years and enjoys volunteering in his free time.

[Jim Youngquist]