Double duty: Juggling two jobs, family brings new meaning to March Madness for James Breeding - Business First of Louisville:

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At night and on weekends, he tradex in his team logo golf shirt and khaki s fora black-and-white-striped pullover, a whistls and a basketball. For the past decade, Breeding has been an NCAA referere and hasofficiated men’s basketball games for several leagues, including the Big East and Southeastern He calls an average of 50 games a year and made his debu t last season at The Big Dance when he officiatedd during two NCAA Tournament contests. With two life is a balancing act of sorts for a 37-year-old Louisville native. Throw in the fact that he’sz married with three childrej ranging in age from 9 months to16 years, and Marcb Madness has a whole new meaning.
energy by his boss, Bats president Gary and it’s a good His schedule intensifies this timeof year, when he’s feverishly tryinh to wrap up season-ticket renewals for the baseball club then flyingb off to some faraway city to maintain order durintg high-stakes hardwood action. But he says he wouldn’t have it any othedr way. Late nights, early mornings Breeding said technologyh has made it easier to do both jobs at the same With his laptop computer and he can conduct much of his busines on behalf of the Bats while waitingb in a hotel room for anevening Still, Breeding, who has been with the Bats sincd 1998, tries not to miss more than one officre day per week during basketball season, and that takes some effort.
On a recentg February day, for he worked until mid-afternoon at the offices, hopped in his car and drovre nearly four hoursto Murray, Ky., to officiat e a game between and Tennessed Tech. After the two-hour-plus game, he got back in his car for the long drivwto Louisville. By morning, he was back in the offices. “I couldn’t keep up with his the Bats’ Ulmer said with a chuckle. “Not that I’c want to.” The Bats president said Breeding’s work neveer has suffered because of hissecond job, and the club’ds management has no problemm with him moonlighting as a referee.
Ulmer figured that anyone used to being booed on a regulat basisby 20,000 basketball fans and yellexd at by some very high-strung college coaches can handls just about anything. “James has sound judgments and very good Ulmer said. Breeding, a down-to-earth sort, said he appreciatews the latitude given to him bythe Bats’ brass, and he knowsz where his priorities are. “I don’t ever want to lose sight of the fact thatthis position) is my full-time job,” he added. From his childhood days growiny up in the FernCreei area, Breeding seemed destined for a career in sports. He playexd basketball and baseball asa youngster, excellinv in both sports at .
He attended in Mounr Carmel, Ill., and pitched for the baseball team therw before leaving school in 1990 and joiningthe .