Edison AD Raymond Shipps Is A Jack Of All Trades

Discipline and order are two of the many adjectives Edison Athletic Director Raymond Shipps preaches to his award-winning Junior ROTC class.

Shipps enrolled in the Army after graduating from McLain in 1980… two years later while in the Army, he started what would become his other job.

The Eagles' AD and Junior ROTC instructor is also the same guy you boo some nights at games: a referee.

Shipps says: "I always wanted to be that person that called the game right down the middle."

Starting when he served in Germany, Shipps officiated in the Army, then moved up the chain to currently refereeing in the Southland Conference.

"I looked at refereeing as being a part of the game. It's a part of the game where I say.. I don't take a break during the time out or anything."

And for Shipps, balancing JROTC, AD work and refereeing keeps him pretty busy.

"Being a referee is a 24 hour job. You've got to stay in your rulebook and you have to be looking at tape."

So he watches film at work and on the ipad on the plane. He also studies his rulebook constantly. And he says his military experience helps him with balancing his schedule.

"Have great integrity," Shipps said.  "Keep my character in place and realize what this is about. I want to make sure that I don't screw them out of that experience."

"Look, everybody is going to make mistakes, nobody's perfect. But if I have structure, it helps me to plan out my day and to succeed in what I do whether it's on or off the basketball court."

Shipps is slated to be promoted to referee games in the Big 12 and AAC next year, so local basketball fans, don't expect to rattle this instructor.