Volleyball Legacy Runs Deep in the Zastera Family
The Zastera family’s connection to volleyball began with the sport’s introduction to high schools. Emma Zastera’s great-grandfather, Mike Zastera, was deeply involved in athletics, having played basketball at Clarkson High School before joining the Navy during World War II.
Following his military service, Zastera dedicated much of his life to playing, coaching, and officiating various sports. His extensive coaching career in basketball and baseball at Immanuel Lutheran in Columbus earned him the honor of having the school gym named after him.
Volleyball became a state-sanctioned high school sport in 1972, and Zastera seized the chance to be part of its history by officiating at the first state tournament in Scottsbluff that year.
“Grandpa loved sports. … Fall was volleyball, winter was basketball, spring and summer were baseball and track meets,” Kim, his granddaughter, remembered. By the time Kim obtained her officiating credentials in 1994, her father, Don Janssen, had already been officiating volleyball games for over a decade.
In the early days of high school volleyball, officials often worked in pairs. When Zastera’s partner fell ill, he turned to Janssen, his son-in-law and Kim’s father, to partner with him.
It was a natural fit. Janssen, a Vietnam War veteran, had been a swimmer at Columbus High School in the 1960s and had experience officiating swim meets. He and Zastera also played volleyball in an adult league at the YMCA in Columbus.
“When Mike said, ‘I need someone to help officiate,’ I raised my hand,” Janssen recalled. “I was so nervous that first night, but I got through it.”
The duo traveled to nearby towns such as York, Albion, and Spalding, frequently officiating three to four nights a week and some weekends. In addition to officiating, Janssen ran a construction company in Columbus.
“We’d ref Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Then on Saturday, we’d go again to referee a tournament,” Janssen said. “On the way home … we had our own critique sessions. We discussed the rules and questioned each other on different calls and tried to improve.”
