Pillars of Excellence
Stephen Bernstein
Steve was born in Detroit in 1947, raised in northwest Detroit and attended Mumford High School, Wayne State University, and Detroit College of Law from which he graduated in 1973. Steve refereed basketball, beginning with girls’ and boys’ middle school, freshman, and junior varsity games, working his way up to high school varsity and then college ball. He attributes his advancement to accepting every assignment and attending many clinics and summer basketball camps, in addition to being mentored by established officials. Steve was fortunate to have some great mentors, including his cousin, Allan “Al” Freund, (Z”L) (MJSHOF, 2007), and the late Will Robinson (Alvin F. Foon Humanitarian Recipient, 1995). Steve officiated MHSAA district and regional contests, and NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA regular season, holiday, and post-season tournament games. Steve officiated the 1992 Texaco Nassau Sunshine Shootout, and the1994 Grand Bahamas Goombay Shootout, played in Nassau, Bahamas, featuring men’s and women’s college teams from all divisions. He has officiated the Special Olympics, Maccabi, St. Cecelia’s, AAU, Gus Macker, Detroit Pistons Old Timers games, and Detroit Shock tryout camp. After retiring as an official, he was as assistant coach under Howard Golding (Pillar of Excellence, 2012) at Oak Park High School and Maccabi Detroit, and also coached at Isiah Thomas Basketball camps. He is a member of the advisory board for the Detroit Sports Zone, Inc., founded by former Harlem Globetrotter, Ernie Wagner, to promote sports and literacy programs for inner-city children and adults. In 2010, Steve received an Award of Appreciation from the Motor City Youth Initiative, helping to sponsor basketball leagues and train prospective officials. That same year, he received the Hillel Hero award from Michigan State University Hillel that established a fund in his name to support intramural sports programs.