LeShay Bernstein's passion to serve others is all deeply rooted in a defining moment from her childhood. It led her on a journey to the U.S. Naval Academy, where she walked on to the track and field team and laid the foundation for both her work as a sports official and her full-time job in the Navy.
Growing up in New Jersey, she was profoundly influenced by the events of Sept. 11, 2001, to serve her country.
"I grew up in New Jersey, and my dad commuted to New York City every day and worked in one of the buildings close to the World Trade Center," she recalls. "When I was in seventh grade, I was in computer class, and Photoshop had just come out. We thought it was a joke when someone put a picture online that a plane had hit one of the twin towers. Next thing we knew, the news channels were on, and we were all watching the second plane hit the second tower."
The chaos and uncertainty of that day left a lasting impression on Bernstein, particularly the fear of not knowing whether her father was safe.
"The biggest relief I felt that day was walking up the hill to my house and seeing my dad mowing the lawn about noon that day, because we had a half-day," she says.
This experience, coupled with her sister's service in the Marine Corps and subsequent combat duty in Fallujah, Iraq, reinforced her commitment to serve and led her to the Naval Academy.
Not initially recruited for athletics, Bernstein walked on to Navy's track and field team and even tried out for the basketball team twice. Her experience in track and field as a thrower, in which she had competed only as a senior in high school, taught her invaluable lessons about perseverance and self-improvement.
"It required me to confront the challenge of excelling in something I hadn't been naturally talented at from a young age. While others had years of experience,I was starting from scratch," she said. "Each time that I was in the ring, I was competing with people who were having personal records, but I was trying to outdo myself each time. This mindset taught me that true competition lies in continually bettering oneself rather than comparing to others, as comparison often steals the joy of progress."
After graduating from Navy in 2011 with a degree in ocean engineering, Bernstein commissioned as an officer and began working on the destroyer USS Mason, which was engaged in counterpiracy operations. In 2013, she began something else from scratch: officiating. She started with rec league and Amateur Athletic Union basketball games.
"I started officiating basketball as a means to stay close to the sport I love so much," she said. "I also wanted to serve and give back to the community."
The hobby of officiating quickly became more of a second career.
Bernstein now officiates not only basketball but also football and flag football. When she's not working as a logistics management specialist at the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division in Orlando, Florida, Bernstein is likely studying playing rules or working a competition.
Her hectic schedule mirrors what she managed as a student-athlete, she said, and is only worth it because of the passion she holds for everything she's involved in.
"It's about being 1% better than you were yesterday, and I just keep repeating that," she said, referencing a speech she heard at a recent officiating camp. "It reminded me of what I was doing at the academy with my throws. …I was in constant competition only with myself to be better with that mind than what I was the day before."
This mindset has been a driving force in Bernstein climbing the ranks as an official.
She officiated mostly Division II men's basketball games last season, highlighted by becoming the first female official to work a game in the Division II Men's Basketball Championship. While proud of the achievement, Bernstein acknowledged that as a woman in the officiating industry, she has faced her share of challenges and a wide range of stigmas. Being a Black woman, she said, only amplifies them.
"While we are steadily making headway with women in officiating, there is still much more road we have to cover. I am grateful for the opportunity I have had, but there are still barriers to tear down. I, along with other women, are ready to do that," she said."When I look around, I see all the help and people that are supporting us,not the obstacles which are present."
For Bernstein, the support has been overwhelming in the officiating world. She noted more than 15 mentors in the space who have helped her, fueling her passion to be that person for the generation behind her.
This includes calling on more student-athletes to consider officiating as a career. Beyond the direct sports knowledge student-athletes can bring to the role, their experiences managing so much in college generally lay the groundwork for a successful transition to the role.
"It allows former student-athletes to stay closely connected to the game and sport they are passionate about, while making supplementary income. Moreover, it provides them with an opportunity to impart valuable lessons to young adults, helping them fortify their mental processes and develop emotional intelligence, the way that other experienced professionals helped me, although I didn't understand some of the wisdom at the time. They gave me lessons that propelled me into the future that continue to benefit me today that I pass to current student-athletes," she said.
"Rather than simply using knowledge from the past and moving on, this cycle of mentorship ensures that valuable insights are passed down, directly impacting tomorrow's generation. It represents a different form of education, one that empowers the youth of today, and perpetuates a revolution of learning and growth."
Bernstein hopes her journey from Navy to the officiating world is not only inspiring but also a call to action for other student-athletes to consider following in her footsteps. By staying connected to the sports they love and giving back to their communities, she said, they too can make a lasting impact on the next generation.
"It's one of the driving forces, one of the reasons I said yes to go to the Naval Academy. It's one of the reasons I joined a ship that was engaged in wartime effort immediately upon being commissioned after graduating, and it is my ambition and desire to serve others that propelled me to go to the academy," she said.
"The ability to participate in athletics at the academy was a bonus, just as I have found that being an official has been for staying close to basketball. I found a passion and something that I was able to put my heart into that has taught me lessons. I hope to one day give back in a manner to something that has given me much."
