WCOA Hall of Fame

H. Mackay once quoted, “Do what you love, love what you do, and deliver more than you promise. As we reflect upon the life of Clement O. Brooks, better known as Clem, we can see that he most assuredly did what he loved, loved what he did and delivered more than he promised.

Clem Brooks was born in Edgecomb County, North Carolina to the late Mr. and Mrs. Lee Cully Brooks. He has two sons, Clem Jr., and Anthony, and is married to Sheila Stevenson Brooks.

After graduating from high school, Clem enlisted in the United States Air Force and garnered a career with 22 years. After leaving the Air Force, Clem worked with the airlines industry until retirement in 2008. Also, during this time, Clem worked as a football and basketball official in the Hillsborough/Pinellas Counties for over 50 years and was recently inducted into the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame. In 2009, Clem had the special privilege of working the Super Bowl here in Tampa as a side-line chain official. Clem presently works for the Doubletree Hotel.

Clem is a member of Beulah Baptist Church where he is a Deacon and sings with the Male Chorus. He also works with the youth and serves as a mentor.

Clem knows there is no greater joy or greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone’s life. He expresses the strength, wisdom, and love of God as he lends a helping hand to others untireingly.

• Officiated 14 years in Kentucky as a member of the Bluegrass Basketball Association
  • Received KHSAA officiating award from 1980 – 1994 for dedicated services rendered.
  • Attended a Don Rutledge college 3-crew officiating camp in Kentucky in 1994 prior to moving to Florida
• Moved to Florida in 1994, unable to locate information on how to join an association, drove to Gainesville, found the nearest school, got directions, drove to FHSAA office, registered, and obtained Jim Drapp’s phone number.
• Before joining the WCOA, as I missed the first meeting, located a scrimmage at Armwood, with Tom Judge and Pat Fleming as instructors, the class being all newbies.
  • They asked for volunteers and I was first, working with the two newbies in their rotations.
  • Tom said he noticed that I had officiated before and would I mind being on the floor for the entire scrimmage, working with two new officials each time.
  • That’s where I first met Jon Decker and Carlos Woosley.
• Started as a rank 3 official, promoted to a 4 mid-year and to a 5 at year end
  • Worked my first high school game with Leo Sykes.
  • Worked my first regional my first year with Clyde Trathowen
  • President Clem Brooks asked me if I would be training director for the next year and I served as training director for 3 years.
  • Later in the year, Clem asked if I would serve the remainder of Tom Judge’s term as a member of the Basketball Committee (board) and I served for a total of 15 years as director and one year as VP.
• 1998 - Worked 6A state finals with Jeff Albers and Alvin Holder.
• 1998 - Started the WCOA web site, utilizing my personal web site and supported it for 3 years before the WCOA Executive Board allocated funds to build it on a professional hosting system. Clem Brooks said I brought the WCOA kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
• 1999 - Started the first WCOA basketball camp at University of Tampa girls basketball camp with only 14 officials
  • The second camp expanded to 31 officials also at UT
  • Ran the WCOA training camps for 3 years
  • The board agreed that the volume of officials exceeded the girls’ basketball camp ability to provide enough games at UT, so the camp was moved to the USF facility to take advantage of the large boy’s basketball camp with Mike Hegarty and Leo Sykes assuming the camp director responsibility.
• 1999 - Selected as WCOA Emeritus official, for services rendered to the association at a general membership meeting, thus becoming an official for life.
• 2001 - May 5, Received WCOA male officials of the year by the Florida Basketball Officials Association at their banquet
• 2002 - Served as a FHSAA state clinician for 2 days at the Auburndale FHSAA field clinic.
• 2003 - Was the first WCOA New Official Orientation Training Class instructor with Thom Powers, continuing for 3 years.
• 2004 - Received WCOA official of the year at the Hillsborough County Coaches banquet
• 2004 - Developed an online evaluations system on the web site for officials to immediately view their evaluations; only association in Florida to have this capability.
• 2008 - Began recording all basketball meeting and loading to web site to be viewed by absent members.
• 2009 - Was the basketball person to create the criteria for basketball to qualify the WCOA as the FHSAA association of the year
• 2014 - Received 30 year membership award from FHSAA
• Remained active in the WCOA to assist where possible after foot injuries prohibited officiating.
• 2015 - Received Golden Whistle award for services rendered
• 2016 - Continued supporting the WCOA web site until retirement

Gerald (Jerry) Lambert was a proud member of West Coast Officials Association for well over 25 years. He proudly served in the US Airforce for 20 years and retired in Tampa. Jerry was very proud of his Cajun heritage; there was no question of his heritage when you heard him speak. Mr. Lambert officiated several sports including football, basketball, baseball, and softball. Mr. Lambert worked State Finals in basketball, baseball, and softball—sadly, not football although more than qualified and deserving.

Throughout his many years of officiating, he was always noted to have one of the strongest crews in football because he was very selective of those he chose to work with. Mr. Lambert started off in football as a linesmen and worked his way to a referee position back in the days when there were only 8 crews. Jerry was elected and severed on every possible committee including Vice President of Football. He was noted for being hard on coaches, players, and other officials during games. This may be because he began is career in an era where discipline wasn’t as good as it is today--fighting wasn’t uncommon. Association members who knew him would all agree he was a dedicated trainer other officials. He spent hours filling out detailed evaluations, trying to help fellow officials. Mr. Lambert was a hard judge and you would have to repeatedly demonstrate competency in order to pass his inspection as an official.

While having a hard exterior at times, Mr. Lambert was known for a much softer side. After the games, he was known for his sense of humor and storytelling. Mr. Lambert was a major supporter of the Special Olympics and secured volunteer officials for several sports including basketball. He also worked with wheelchair basketball and would recruit volunteer officials there as well. Mr. Lambert’s induction comes posthumously. Mr. Lambert passed away in 2007 at the age of 69 while still an active and participating official in WCOA. He may have slowed down from his prime, but he still managed his own crew as a referee.

WCOA wants to recognize great officials from the past who left a mark on WOCA and belong in the Hall of Fame before their memory fades. The list of officials that Mr. Lambert mentored over the years would be too long to list for this this bio. Mr. Lambert should be remembered as a great official of many sports, a good hearted man with a very wicked since of humor, and a man who left a legacy that should be remembered and acknowledged in the West Coast Officials Association.