Saskatoon teacher Tim Kroeker thrilled to officiate Grey Cup
CBC News | Posted: November 30, 2014 11:30 AM | Last Updated: November 30, 2014
Kroeker teaches elementary school in Saskatoon, but today he'll officiate the Grey Cup
Saskatoon's Tim Kroeker will be wearing black and white at the Grey Cup. He has been chosen as one of the game officials.
"I'm thrilled," Kroeker said. "I'm thrilled to be here."
Kroeker got the call after he finished officiating at the Western Final in Edmonton.
"It's the pinnacle," he said. "To be assigned to the Grey Cup is the goal every year. So it was definitely a great, great call to get."
Kroeker has been a CFL official for the past nine years. This is his third time refereeing the championship game.
It's the pinnacle. To be assigned to the Grey Cup is the goal every year. So it was definitely a great, great call to get. - Tim Kroeker
Kroeker said he does a lot of mental visualization before the game. About 45 minutes before kickoff, the officials walk the field and start prepping for the game.
To stay at the top of his own game as an official, Kroeker said he stays fit, eats healthy food and studies the rules and mechanics of the game. He said other people in his life also make sacrifices to help him get here.
Kroeker spends most of his weekdays in the classroom, as a teacher at St. Anne elementary school. But he also loves being on the field.
"It's my place," he said. "It's where I feel at home."