Jerry Mallory was born in Ohio. He played volleyball while he was in the Navy from 1966 to 1986. His Navy team played in many Regional Tournaments.
Jerry also began his career as a referee in 1986 in the volleyball league at the Submarine Base in Groton and continues to officiate there. Shortly after he began, Tony Aretakis suggested to him that he become a high school official. Barbara Startup trained him and he was evaluated at UConn at a pre-season scrimmage. In 1987, he was rated as a state referee and a certified line judge. In 1988, he officiated college matches which were part of the NAGWS – the National Association for Girls and Women in Sports. Jerry remembers their uniform included blue and white striped, double knit shirts that were both uncomfortable and hot! Jerry began officiating boys’ varsity matches at the beginning of boys’ high school volleyball in Connecticut.
In 1988, Jerry also began officiating girls’ high school matches and from 1992 to 1994; he served as the Officials’ Board Vice-Chair. He later officiated high school state tournaments, high school state tournament finals, as well as Division I college tournaments. He remembers marathon volley-ball tournaments at Eastern Connecticut State College when officials would walk in at 9:00 AM and leave at midnight!
From 1988 to 2014, Jerry was the Groton Park and Recreation Adult Volley-ball League Supervisor and head referee and continues to serve as the referee. In addition, from 1989 to 2009 Jerry volunteered as the coordinator / supervisor for Southeastern Connecticut Easter Seals Volleyball Marathon. In addition from 1998 to the present, he is an Executive Board Member-at-Large for the Southern New England Board of Officials.
Jerry has been involved with volleyball for 45 years as a player and official at almost every level of competitive volleyball.